Code Geass: Tatiana's Turn
by eggs2apples
Summary: Twenty years after Zero killed Lelouch vi Brittania, a country girl named Tatiana meets a mysterious man named RR. My first fanfic, R&R PLEASE! CCXLelouch, KallenXGino, NunnallyXSuzaku, OC's and lots of others! CHAPTER 18 UP!
1. Phase 1: Sir Artur

**Code Geass: Tatiana's Turn**

A/N: I don't own Code Geass, if I did there would be an R3 already.

This is my first fanfic, so reviews are very appreciated!

**~Chapter One: Sir Artur~**

a.t.b. 2038, rural Japan

"Hurry up, Bobby! We're having pizza tonight, remember?" I looked up at the sky. _Fifteen minutes until dark and we're still only halfway home. I hope we're having pepperoni tonight._

"What is it with you and pizza, seriously? Could you ever eat enough pizza?"

"Nope!"

Bobby sighed. "Sis, slow down. My legs hurt."

I turned around to face him. "Do you wanna rest a bit? I know we're not supposed to, but… Oh look! Perfect timing!"

Just around the bend and heading our way was a cart full of hay. I jumped out into the middle of the road, waving down the driver. Bobby tugged at my dress.

"He looks suspicious. I… I'ld rather just walk."

"Don't worry so much! I'm sure he'll be fine. He feels nice and familiar."

"You and your feelings…" I knew he wouldn't argue with me. I'ld been right so many times before, even in the most dangerous situations. Not that there are many dangerous situations, at least here and now. Not since the war ended twenty years ago. But when there were, I could charm myself out of them every time. Mother said it was as if I knew what the person wanted. In this case…

"Yes, young lady, what can I do for you?" His voice was much stronger and younger than he looked. Then again, it wasn't as if I could see much of him anyways. I decided that he was someone to be approached directly.

"Hi, I'm Tatiana and this is my brother Robert. Would you like a nice meal and a place to stay for the night?"

He hesitated a moment, then chuckled. "You're a fearless one, aren't you? Tatiana, you say?"

"Yes, sir. In exchange would you please give us a ride the rest of the way there?"

"I'ld be honored to. Climb on."

"Thank you very much! C'mon, Bobby!" I climbed on and reached down to help Bobby up. He grumbled but got on anyway.

"It's just about eight minutes straight down this road, sir. We're having pizza tonight! I'm sure my parents would love to share, we always get more than one… well mostly it's for me… but I'll share with you!"

"You remind me of someone I know."

" Oh, well, thank you! OH! I'm so sorry! What's your name, sir?"

"My name? You can call me… Artur."

"Artur! Wonderful!"

"Sis, you're pronouncing it wrong."

"It's alright by me. Please, call me Artur."

* * *

"Sir Artur, thank you so much! Please wait out here while I let my parents know about you."

Bobby and I jumped from the cart and raced each other to the door.

"Mama! Papa! We're home!"

"Welcome back." Behind my parents, I could see another familiar face. I smiled knowingly.

"Kagami! W-what are you doing here?" Bobby had a deep blush all over his face. God, he was so obvious. I snickered.

"I-I came to help your parents out a bit while you two were gone. Thank you very much for the work." She was quiet a moment. "I'll be going now."

"Wait! Please, stay for dinner with us!" _C'mon Kagami, I know you like Bobby too. _

"I-I would, but I really must be going now. Thank you again, Mr. and Mrs. Mihara." She passed by Bobby quickly on the way to the door, who blushed even harder if that were possible.

Suddenly I remembered. "Mama, Papa, there's a nice young man who gave us a lift home in need of food and board. May I please bring him in?"

Mama smiled. "Sure, I trust you."

I ran outside. "Sir Art-"

He was gone. I could just barely hear the sound of horse's hooves receding away.

"I wanted to return the favor…"

I came back inside. "Artur left already. I wanted to share my pizza with him! And he-"

"Sis, you're still pronouncing his name wrong."

"What did you hear it as?"

"He said Ar-tu. Not Artur."

"You mean like R2-D2?"

"Yeah. R2."

* * *

So what do you think? If you have any questions please email me, I'll do anything to clear stuff up without ruining the plot ^_^

R&R PLEASE!!!!!


	2. Phase 2: RR

A/N: I don't own Code Geass. Wish I did... God, if only Lulu were real ;)

Thanks for the reviews so far! I'm glad you like it!

BTW, as always in CG, not all is as it seems...

**~Chapter 2: RR~**

"Sir Art-" He could still make out her cheerful voice.

She had changed so much, and forgotten so much, and grown so much, and yet -

RR smiled. At least she was happy.

"I wanted to return the favor…"

_You already have, Tatiana, Robert, both of you._

"I found you. My…"

* * *

"Tatiana. Tatiana! Wake up!" I opened my eyes and squinted. Brightness –short blond hair – lilac eyes –

"Wha…? Bobby… it's the weekend… need… sleep…"

"Tatiana, if you don't get up, you won't be getting any leftovers."

"WHAT! No leftovers!" I forced myself to sit up. Bobby blinked.

"Hey, do you really like leftovers more than hot pizza?"

"Yeah! You should know that by now! The leftovers, they're the best part! All nice and cool, and the crust gets really crispy, and…"

"Okay, I get it."

"So, umm, what's up?"

"Don't you remember? Today's the festival. It's the 20th year anniversary of the assassination of the Demon Emperor. We have to go soon, the parade's going to start."

"Did I really sleep that long?" I giggled. "I'm really not a morning person, am I?"

"No, sis, you really aren't."

"Twenty years, huh? It seems like so long ago already… we weren't even born yet…"

"Don't you think it's rather strange to celebrate someone's death? I mean, I know Lelouch was evil, but wasn't he the governor's brother? Why would she want to celebrate his death?"

"You think too much. It's a simple matter of good versus evil."

"But – "

"No buts. Now can you please go so I can get ready so I can EAT THAT PIZZA!?"

"You eat too much."

"You little – " He ran out the room laughing, and I slammed the door.

I looked in the mirror. _We don't really look alike, do we? And our parents – we REALLY don't look like them either._

I toyed with a strand of my long hair and gazed pensively at my reflection. Her honey eyes met mine.

"Hmph… RR, was it? He seemed so familiar to me. I don't remember meeting him before, though. But if I could find him again, I wonder if he would know … What am I saying? Why would a complete stranger know who I was?"

* * *

RR directed his cart into the forest. _From here, I can still sense her and her surroundings without making her brother too suspicious. They have good senses, both of them, but they're not quite as strong as mine._

"I suppose this means the game has started once again, huh? It's been a while."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard her laugh once again.

_a.t.b. 2018_

_It was dark in Hell. Dark and cold._

"_Wake up, Lelouch. I know you can hear me."_

"_CC?" He looked around. Still dark. "Where… why are you here? You don't deserve Hell."_

"_I suppose it's more like Hell doesn't deserve me. I can't die, after all. Lelouch, open your eyes."_

"_If this isn't Hell, then…"_

_He opened his eyes._

_They were in a dark church. The only light and warmth came from a single stained glass panel behind him._

"_CC, why are you crying?"_

"_It was a gamble, wasn't it? You didn't really know if you had Charles' code. You only knew when Nunnally touched you. I felt it, too, Lelouch. Why did you lie to me?"_

"_CC, you're different than usual."_

"_The pact… If you had died, then our pact would be broken. Lelouch, I… my wish…"_

"_I already know." She gasped."You showed it to me, in the world of C."_

"_Then you know that if you had died… I…"_

"_CC, I don't deserve heaven. I've done so much, created so much pain, that if I were to die – "_

"_You're wrong."_

"_CC…"_

"_Lelouch, I am not your heaven. But… but you are mine. With you, I feel like an eternity could pass by in a flash. Lelouch… I love you. I love you!"_

_He smiled and put his hand on her cheek. "I know, my witch."_

_She laughed through her tears. "My warlock."_

_It was the first time she had laughed with such openness and innocence. He pulled her towards him gently._

_As their lips met, their thoughts merged together into one, beautiful feeling._

"_So this is what it feels like… to no longer be alone…"_

_

* * *

_

Yay, I got some good ol' LelouchXCC in there! Is she too human now? What do you think???

Once again, R&R please!!!


	3. Phase 3: Anniversary

A/N: I still don't own Code Geass...

Thanks for the reviews so far! Keep 'em coming!

jlb316: You'll just have to read and see! But if you read my description, Kallen at least is alive. So far... muahaha...

**~Chapter 3: Anniversary~**

"Are you ready yet, sis? The pizza's almost gone, you know."

"COMING!!!" I snapped out of my musings and got dressed as quickly as possible. When I came downstairs, there was still a whole box of leftover pizza. "Bobby… you tricked me!"

"I knew you would come down if I mentioned pizza." He looked up at me and frowned. "You're wearing that? I know he died and all, but people are going to look at you strangely if you wear black today."

"It's fashion, not sentiment. Black looks good on me, that's all."

"So you say."

"Bobby, you know girls won't like you if you talk them that way. Especially a girl like Kagami."

"Tatiana! I – It's not – that way – "

"Hmmm? Than what way is it??? Tell me, tell me!"

"I see you're both up now." Our parents walked into the kitchen.

"Mama! Papa! Did we wake you? I'm sorry!"

"It's alright, dears. Actually we were up already. Now, the parade is about to start, so let's get going, shall we?"

"YAY!"

"Sis, have I ever told you that you're strange?"

"Bobby, have I ever told you that you get on my nerves sometimes?" I smiled sweetly at my little brother.

"Point taken."

* * *

New Camelot, Britannian Republic

"Would you please take me to the president, sir? I have an urgent message for her." The decrepit palace guard stared at the girl.

"B-but, er, miss, aren't you – "

"Dead? Missing? What? I don't really want to, but I can always order you to take me to her, can't I?"

"Yes, er, miss, I mean – she will see you right away."

"Thank you." He bowed repeatedly before turning around and running as fast as he could to the guard station.

"Silly Odysseus. You can't make such a big fuss over me anymore."

* * *

"WOW! That one is so big! How do they manage to make a float that big? OH MY GOD! They made the Lancelot Albion! Wow, I wonder which organization did that?"

"Sis, could you keep it down? Practically the whole village is watching you!"

"No they aren't and do I care? Oh! Look! Look!"

"That was a pointless move." I looked over at him. He was holding the latest game player, and whatever it was he was playing looked very complicated.

"Hmm? Bobby, whatcha playin'?"

"It's a new game, just came out a week ago. How should I explain… it's like a mix between chess, poker, and a war RPG. That's what I got yesterday when we were in town."

"I see. Well, I don't really get it, but it sounds like something you'd be good at. How are you doing so far?"

"I'm ranked 29 out of over 10,000."

"…Wow…! Geez, you really are a genius! I probably would fail at level one."

"You probably would. Don't get mad, just admit you had that one coming to you."

"I'm not mad, do I look mad? OH MY! Isn't that an exact replica of the float he died on? God that must be hard to make!"

"Sis, please keep it down. I'm concentrating."

"Oh. Sorry!" The last cart of the parade had finally come into view. I jumped up and squinted. "Oh look! It's Zero's mask! Dang, that's cool!"

Bobby sighed. "Game over. Oh, well."

"Who won?"

"I did. But that was too fast, it's like they wanted me to win."

"Weird. Did you even see the parade or have you been playing that game this whole time?"

"What's the point in seeing the parade when it's practically the same every year? Besides, don't you think the idea of celebrating someone's death is rather strange?"

"Well, I guess so. But when he died the world became a much more peaceful place. I think we're celebrating the peace his death caused, not his death itself."

Bobby blinked at me. "You know, sis, that may just be the wisest thing you've said this week."

"This week? WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!?!"

"I'm joking, alright? Umm, sis, now we really are being stared at…"

* * *

Who is the strange girl at the presidential palace? Next time on: Code Geass: Tatiana's Turn... ok that was kinda corny...

BTW if you guys have any suggestions for plot, characters, and so on I'll be happy to hear them. There's no guarantee I'll use them but who knows, right?


	4. Phase 4: The President's Visitor

A/N: I own neither Code Geass nor any CLAMP work, so please don't sue me!

Tyler ci Brittania: I'll remember that! I couldn't quite fit him(her? it?) in yet, maybe next chappie!

starlight luna: Good questions! I hope this answers one of them at least, but you never know :)

**~Chapter 4: The President's Visitor~**

RR set the game player down on the rough wooden seat beside him and answered his phone.

"She's in the palace. What are you planning?"

"Hmph. It doesn't matter, she's chasing the wrong bait."

"Oh? Care to explain?"

RR looked towards the village. "I found them."

"I see."

"It seems I have also found a worthy adversary." He smiled. "He's called Robert, although he prefers to be known as Dagda. He's good, so I'll have to be careful."

"What about Tatiana?"

RR was silent a moment.

"I'm making my move soon. You should take precautions as well. If anything happens, you know where to meet me."

* * *

"This way, p-please."

The girl looked up. "Oh. It's you."

Oddyseus gestured painfully with his hand for her to follow him.

"Is it arthritis? There's medication for that, you know."

"Please, don't be concerned with me. You… of all people..."

They walked down through the corridors in silence.

"This is rather nostalgic…" She laughed. "Don't you think so?"

"You shouldn't be here."

"I shouldn't?" She came up behind him. "Why not, brother?"

His eyes went wide. "Broth – " He fell. Blood pooled out from his back and chest.

She retracted the blade into her sleeve and continued walking.

* * *

"Whatcha doin' now?"

"Must you ask every time? I'm still playing the game."

"Can you teach me?" I looked up at him with wide innocent eyes.

"C-can I… teach you??? Are you serious?!"

"Not really. But I want to know what my dear brother knows. Pretty please?"

"This isn't your kind of game. You should play something with, I dunno, fairies and rainbows in it."

"Any recommendations?"

"Sis, you know I don't play those kinds of games." He looked at me like I was crazy. _Well, I can be, sometimes, I suppose. Just a little._

"I wanna learn. Pretty please with Mokona on top?"

"The hell is Mokona?!"

"It's a supercute creature from a manga I read recently. Pretty-puu?"

"You are not human. I refuse to believe that we are of the same species."

"Yes, well, girls are superior."

"This has nothing to do with gender! Geez, can you let me play in peace! Please?"

"Only if you say 'pretty please with mokona on top?'!"

"Never."

"You asked for it, then… Kagami's coming over in less than five minutes." I took out my phone and started to dial her number. "Of course she will, when she finds out you have a confession to make to her…"

"WHAT?"

_Hehe._ "Checkmate, yes?"

"I'll… teach you… "

* * *

"Your visitor has arrived."

President Cornelia glanced up. "She can wait a moment."

"Mommy?"

Cornelia turned to her daughter.

"My darling, Felicity, I have some official business I must attend. Why don't you and Elizabeth go play in the garden with Daddy?"

"Okay, Mommy." She skipped over to the other door, then turned. "Mommy?"

"What, dear?"

"Don't be sad anymore. Promise?"

"Feliz… I'll try."

"PROMISE!" She looked so absurdly determined, Cornelia had to smile.

"I promise." Felicity beamed at her and skipped out the door.

"Let her in."

The doors opened slowly. She stared at the girl before her.

"Im-Impossible…"

"Hiya, big sis!"

"Euphie!?!"

* * *

*cue dramatic music* She's alive!!! Or is she?

Keep reading for more mysteries, and some eventual answers.

MORE R&R! I thrive on R&R! I'ld also love to hear any theories you guys come up with on who's who, where this is all heading and in what form cheese-kun will appear ;)


	5. Phase 5: Dear Sister

A/N: All previous A/N's apply, I'm feeling lazy tonight...

Another note: Mokona is a CLAMP character from Magic Knight Rayearth, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, and xxxHoLic. It looks like a cross between a puffball and a rabbit, and it always says puu~ ! It is, as Tatiana states, supercute, and I completely agree, naturally ^=^

**~Chapter 5: Dear Sister~**

"Im-Impossible…"

"Hiya, big sis!"

"Euphie?!"

"Who else would I be? Funny, I come all the way here after all this time and this is the kind of reception I get. Wow! You know, I think I always knew you would sit on the Brittanian throne, although I never thought it would happen quite like this."

"How are you alive? You… you shouldn't be here…"

She smiled. "Brother said the same thing, you know. Hey, sis, there's a lot I want to tell you but it's rather classified information. Do you mind?"

Cornelia nodded to her guards and they silently exited the room.

Euphie smiled.

* * *

"What in god's name are you watching?"

"A commercial! For Pizza Hut! Isn't it cute?"

"Ummm, what is that thing doing?"

"It's Cheese-kun doing the Caramelldansen! See?" I put my hands to my ears and started dancing. "Come on, join us!"

"I thought you said you wanted to learn how to play this game?"

I turned off the T.V. – _bye for now, my love!_ – turned quickly and sat down cross-legged in front of Bobby.

"I hereby declare my apprenticeship to you, oh god of gaming! Look kindly upon your devotee!"

"Are you for real?"

"Of course I am! I really want to learn!"

"Okay then…"

* * *

RR's phone buzzed. He woke up instantly and answered it.

"It's me."

"I know. Any new developments?"

"I'm sending you some security tape footage and a phone conversation recording right now. I think you'll find this very interesting indeed, but I'm not yet sure if my conclusion is correct or not."

"I'll call you back then." He looked at his phone. A few seconds later, a "New Message" icon appeared. He clicked it.

'_Cornelia, I – she's – she's back! And she's requesting an audience with you! I can't let her in with you, I can't let anyone else – but she could – and then – '_

'_Slow down, brother. Who are you talking about?'_

'_It's her. It's si… it's sis – '_

'_Sister?!? Why is Nunally here?'_

'_No, She's not Nunally, she's not our sister, but I have to obey him… he told me not to say her name ever again… '_

'_Odysseus, please be clear and speak up!'_

'_C..C…C…..CC's here!'_

'_What!!! Didn't she go missing over twenty years ago?'_

'_What should I do? After all, she used to be – '_

'_Send her in. I'll have my guards, if it comes to that. Perhaps she decided to return to the royal family.'_

'_Are you sure? Will you be okay?'_

'_I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. Whatever she wants to say to me, I can take it. After all, we both lost someone very precious to us.'_

'_I… I understand.'_

RR looked over the videos, then called his contact back.

"I understand now. Well, well, the girl has a source. She's our bait, just like Cornelia is theirs."

"I knew you would figure it out."

"I always do."

"Prideful as always, Lelouch."

He smiled painfully. "Unfortunately, not always."

* * *

"It's strange, but I thought brother called you CC over the phone."

"CC? That witch? You must have heard wrong, maybe he said 'Sissy'?"

"Perhaps." Cornelia looked at her little sister sadly.

"Big sis, what's wrong?"

"Why are you here? What is it you want to tell me?"

"Sis, You know who made me do that, don't you? Zero! He's the one I want! Please, sis, tell me where Zero is."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Very well. I was revived by her known as the Cauldron Crone."

"HER? I thought she was just an urban legend! And… and the dead can never truly come back to life, now, can they?"

"I'm right here in front of you. I was dead, wasn't I? And now I'm here!"

"No… even the Cauldron Crone cannot revive the dead. She can only make copies of them, but their souls are already gone."

"I'm right here, aren't I? Big sis…" Euphie started walking towards Cornelia.

"Yes, yes you are… Euphie." Cornelia came forward, slowly to meet her.

* * *

So yes, RR is Lelouch. But who is the person on the phone with him? And what exactly is his relationship with Tatiana? More answers and questions to follow!

Review, onegai!


	6. Checkpoint One!

**~Checkpoint One! The Story So Far~**

Hi everyone! I know the story has gotten rather involved and confusing, but it'll start to clear up starting next chapter. So, I'm just going to do a quick recap of what is known so far and some connecting of the dots. Also, I'm going to put in some info I can't seem to fit anywhere else in my story so it might be a good idea to read this even if you think you've got it all straight in your head (which I doubt 0o).

I'm going to summarize the storylines, characters, and additional info, in that order:

* * *

**Tatiana's storyline:** On the way home from school one day, Tatiana and her brother Robert(nicknamed Bobby) hitch a ride from a strange but familiar-seeming man who calls himself RR, which Tatiana heard as 'Artur'. When they get home, their neighbor Kagami is helping out their folks. Tatiana wanted 'Artur' to stay at their home for the night but he had already left by the time she got back outside. The next day is the 20th year anniversary of the Demon Emperor's (Lelouch's) death. As she gets ready for the parade, Tatiana muses about how she doesn't look like the rest of her family and how RR might know who she is. She gets very excited as she watches the parade, but Robert isn't even looking and is playing some sort of game. He wins a game, but comments that the other person seemed to want him to win. Later on, Tatiana cons Robert into teaching her how to play the game by using his apparent crush on Kagami.

**RR's storyline:** After leaving Tatiana's home despite her invitation to come in for the night, RR comments that both she and her brother have already returned the favor and says, "I found you. My…" Which is the same thing CC said when she first sensed Lelouch. He drives his cart into the forest just outside of the village so that he can sense Tatiana and Robert without making Robert suspicious. He says the game has started again, and flashes back to when he, Lelouch, first awoke as an immortal Code-bearer. In the flashback, CC is crying because Lelouch wasn't actually sure if he had a code and was willing to truly die to give the world peace and so he could be punished for his sins. CC, however, says he is wrong to think that way and they kiss for the first time as equals and lovers. Later on, in the present time, RR has just finished playing a game and answers his phone. The person he is talking to is aware of the strange girl in the palace, his plans and seemingly also of his true relationship to Tatiana. They later send him what would definitely be considered highly classified info and call RR by his true name, Lelouch.

**New Camelot storyline: **A strange girl requests an audience with President Cornelia. The palace guard on duty, Odysseus, freaks out but remains polite due to his previous military training. During his phone conversation with Cornelia, he seemed to think that the mystery girl was CC, and that 'he' had told him never to say CC's name again. Cornelia wonders if she came back to the royal family, as she remembers CC being around in her childhood. She lets Odysseus bring the girl to her. On the way through the corridors, the girl calls him 'brother' and kills him. When she comes to Cornelia's office, Cornelia sends her daughter to the garden to play with her sister and father. She is shocked to see Euphie, not CC, in front of her. Perhaps due to that shock, she lets the guards leave her and asks her how in the world she could be alive. Euphie says the Cauldron Crone revived her and she wants to know where Zero is. Cornelia seems to accept that it is indeed Euphie in body but not in soul. However, the fact that Odysseus said it was CC may still be troubling her.

* * *

**Tatiana:**

_Eye color: _honey

_Hair color: _unknown

_Fave things to do: _eat pizza, tease her brother

_One known secret: _She doesn't know who she really is

**Robert:**

_Eye color: _lilac

_Hair color: _blond

_Fave things to do: _play games, philosophize

_One known secret:_ he's actually a gaming genius under the screenname 'Dagda'

**RR:**

_Eye color: _purple

_Hair color: _black

_Fave things to do:_ plan with whoever it is he's talking on the phone with, observe Tatiana and Robert

_One known secret: _he intentionally lost to Robert to gauge his personality and intelligence

**Mr. and Mrs. Mihara: **They are Tatiana and Robert's parents. They seem nice and caring.

**Kagami: **Bobby's crush, a shy neighborhood girl who helps out his folks sometimes. It appears she has a crush on him as well.

**CC:** Only revealed in flashback so far. Her current identity is a mystery.

**Phone Person: **Someone who seems to know many things about Lelouch and Tatiana, and either has high security access and/or has infiltrated the Brittanian government in order to put Lelouch's plan in motion.

**Mystery Girl: **Revealed to be Euphie, souless. However, Odysseus saw her as CC. The reason for this discrepancy seems to be known by Lelouch and the person on the phone with him.

**Odysseus: **During CG R2, he was recruited to the Brittanian military under Lelouch. Now, twenty years later, he is working as a palace guard despite arthritis and old age. It appears Cornelia may have pulled a few strings as President to get him his current job, since there is no longer a nobility system. Stabbed and presumably killed by Mystery Girl.

**Cornelia: **The current president of the Brittanian Republic. She is married (to Guilford) and has two daughters.

**Felicity: **Nicknamed Feliz. Cornelia's daughter.

**Elizabeth: **Cornelia's daughter.

**Cauldron Crone:** The person Euphie claims revived her, an 'urban legend' according to Cornelia.

And don't forget…

**Mokona: **puu~!

**Cheese-kun: ***caramelldansen*

* * *

**The Game:** Described as a mix between 'chess, poker, and a war game'. Here's a better way to describe it. It's partially inspired by _Sir Thursday,_ the fourth book in the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix. It works like this: The entire game world is a giant chessboard. It is 1000 squares long by 1000 squares wide. Each 'square' measures one mile wide by one mile long. A player can control either a Black team, a demonic people who want to take over the board so that they are recognized and feared; a White team, a race of near-immortals who wish to restore order and harmony to the board, or as a Red team, an intelligent but human group who want to gain the resources the board has to offer. There can be multiple teams on the board at once, but as the game goes on eventually just a few will be left. At the end of one turn by all players, the tiles – and subsequently all soldiers on them – switch around to a new formation. The next tile formation is known to all players, so they have to plan ahead strategically. The poker part of it is that in the event of a stalemate or surrender, the players play poker to determine that round's winner. It's really complicated and to be rated 29 out of over 10,000 is truly incredible. Also, capturing the center by simultaneously capturing all the squares around it results in an automatic win.

**CC's Wish:** In the anime, CC initially wanted to die by having either Lelouch or Charles take her code and kill her. However, her Geass was a wish 'to be loved'. The shock of being killed by the one person who she thought truly loved her, the nun who cared for her as a child, caused her to forget her real wish and her life prior to gaining her code. When her past is shown to Lelouch in the world of C, he realizes that dying isn't her real wish, her wish is that she wants to be loved. So when CC was getting OOC it's kinda understandable since Lelouch was the one person who ever truly cared for her and she knew that the only reason why she wanted to keep living was so that she could be with him, forever.

**Britannian Political System:** Previously known as the Brittanian Empire. The revolution started by Lelouch, the last emperor, included the abolishment of nobility, class and other petty distinctions between people. Although he himself is hated and his assassination by Zero is an international holiday, Many of the political movements started by, or against, Lelouch have come to fruition. One of them is the presidency. The Brittanian Republic was created just months after Lelouch's death. It's first president was Nunally, who had a term of six years. She chose not to go up for reelection. The second president was Guilford, who was reelected. Although two six-year terms is the limit, there was no rule about one's family running for presidency, so Cornelia ran and won. She will soon enter her second year as president.

* * *

So folks, that's where we're at so far. I am NOT going to answer any questions posed on the reviews that would spoil the story, so don't ask for it. The whole fun of this story is to get confused first and answers later :) Seriously though, just read the story. If you don't like that, come back in a few months and skip to the last chappie, I don't care. Actually I do, I'd rather you read it… but I am NOT REVEALING ANY SPOILERS!

Okay, now, enjoy the next chapter!


	7. Phase 6: Memories

Thanks for the extensive review, Inviktus! Great theories, but you'll just have to watch and see!

BTW, things will start to get clearer from here on out. Thanks for sticking with me so far!

**~Chapter 6: Memories~**

"This is an important mission, do you understand?"

"I understand."

"If you fail, you will die." He looked at me gravely.

"No I won't."

"You will."

"Bobby, must you always be so serious? It's a game!"

"I'm trying to teach you! What's the point if this is how you're going to be? Why do you want to learn to play a war game anyways?"

"No real reason. I just… I just thought it might help…" _It might help me remember… It just seems like something I should know but I don't… why? Why does my life seem so empty sometimes?_

"Sis?"

"No, it's nothing! Forget it! Like I said before, I would fail at level one anyway, so, so, it doesn't matter!"

"Sis, I… before anything happens, I…"

I looked up in alarm. "What do you mean, before anything happens?"

"I get the feeling we're being watched."

"Watched?"

"Yeah… just for the past few weeks, though it's gotten more acute since Friday."

"Friday, when?"

"Specifically, since a little after we got home. I think it has something to do with that RR guy."

I frowned. _Why would he be watching us?_

"Sis, do you trust me?"

I looked up at him with concern. "I… of course I trust you."

* * *

"I'm right here, aren't I? Big sis…" Euphie started walking towards Cornelia.

"Yes, yes you are… Euphie." Cornelia came forward, slowly to meet her.

All at once, Euphie pulled out her blade and Cornelia drew her gun.

"As I thought," she said with tears in her eyes, "You aren't Euphie."

"I want to know where Zero is! Before he does anything to Nunally… "

"If you were Euphie, you would know that the Zero you want is already dead. And you would never want to harm the new Zero."

"How would you know?"

"It's part of the security briefing, when I became President. Nunally was elected first, but even though she was popular with the people she didn't go up for relection. She knew who Zero was and when Guilford was elected she requested that we be told everything."

"Why won't you tell me? I'm your sister! I just – I need to find Zero!"

"Why?"

"Because he's the only one who knows – " Euphie's eyes got wide and she stopped speaking.

"Knows what?"

"I cannot say."

"As much as I don't want to believe it, you're just someone's pawn right now." Cornelia leveled her gun at her. "So, I'm sorry, Euphie, to be the one to kill you a second time."

* * *

I stepped out of the shower, troubled by what my brother had said earlier that evening about RR.

"I really do think he's someone I can trust, but Bobby can have good instincts too. I suppose I trust too easily."

As I looked in the mirror, I questioned everything I knew about myself.

I am young and healthy, 17 years old, and most of the village boys are infatuated with me. But I can never let them get too close. If I did, they would see the mark under my breast and would get scared. It was just a birthmark, but the shape was too much like a witch's mark.

And if I let one boy close enough to find out about my birthmark, the whole village would shun me and condemn me. It wasn't something that had happened before, but it seemed all too likely and I wasn't about to chance it.

I twirled a finger around my bleach blonde hair and thought. Other than my hair color, I looked completely different from Bobby. Even my hair was dyed, and I can't remember what my original hair color was. It was just one of my obsessions, along with pizza and teasing Bobby about Kagami.

At the edge of my consciousness, I felt… something important… a flash of green! _What the hell…? Why is green so important?_ I shook my head and went to go get dressed.

* * *

"Hey, Lelouch, do you think she'll start to remember things now that you've met her again?"

"Who knows." RR leaned back and looked up at the stars. "I hope so. Even if she doesn't, though…"

"Do you ever regret your choice?"

"Which one?"

The voice laughed solemnly. "All of them, I suppose."

RR looked for the North Star and thought.

"Yes. All the time."

* * *

Soooo... does that kinda make it clearer? But I'm not done yet with pulling out the suspense for answers. Don't worry though, the real adventure will start within the next 5 chappies and before then a lot of mysteries will be resolved. You guys might not like the answers, though...

R&R please! Even if you already have!


	8. Phase 7: Two Presidents

Tyler ci Brittania: Thanks for the ego boost! XD

CNiaEuphieC: I know it's paced pretty fast especially since the chapters are short, but if it was long and more involved it just wouldn't work. Trust me. There's a lot more that's going to happen once the geassing begins in a few chappies, and at that point I'm going to take your advice :) Otherwise my fic would end up having probably 100 chapters plus...

As for the "Who is Tatiana?" mystery, you all may want to wait a few chappies before resuming any theories... you'll see why...

**~Chapter Seven: Two Presidents~**

"As much as I don't want to believe it, you're just someone's pawn right now." Cornelia leveled her gun at her. "So, I'm sorry, Euphie, to be the one to kill you a second time."

Euphie dropped the knife and backed up slowly. "Big sis! You're – you're going to – you! Why? I finally reached you and now you're going to kill me again?!" She wiped her eyes. "I don't understand…"

_If that old hag was correct, the guard should have just switched over right now. Besides, some of them have probably found Odysseus by now, it's only a matter of time._

"I'm sorry, Euphie. Sister."

"Wait! Please, I can explain… why I need to find him…" Her back hit the wall. Ever so faintly, she smiled.

"I'm listening." Slowly, the girl's hand reached out to where she knew the emergency button would be.

"My real name… is Agnes. But you can now call ME president!" She pressed the button.

"What!? Euphie, are you mad!?!"

The guards rushed through the door. "President! Are you – "

They stared. "T-Two Cornelias?"

* * *

I pulled up the covers and closed my eyes. _Green, huh?_

_A flash of green…_

_I was standing on a grassy hill looking out at the distant mountains and forested valley. I looked back towards the house._

_It was burning._

_I ran towards the house, but the faster I ran the more distant it became. Everything faded into a whiteout._

_Suddenly I heard Bobby's voice._

"_Come with me. Trust me. Do you trust me?"I saw strange images of people walking, and skulls, and a mark I seemed to remember._

"_I… I don't understand. Who are you?"_

"_What are you talking about? I'm your little brother. And you're Tatiana, isn't that so?"_

"_No… I don't remember…"_

"_Good." The whiteness seemed to close in on me and the images came faster and faster._

I screamed. My parents rushed into the room.

"Tatiana! Are you okay?" I nodded.

"Don't worry, it was just a nightmare. I'm okay."

Mama put her hand to my forehead. "You don't have a fever, so that's good. I'll go get you some nice warm milk."

"Thanks, mama." I smiled. "Really, though, I'm okay."

Papa knelt by my bed. "Tell it to me."

"I… It's okay. It's just that one nightmare I always have. You know, the one with the burning house, and the voice telling me to trust him. Though actually, this time…"

"What is it? Did something change?"

"Yeah." _It's never been Bobby's voice before. Just some stranger. That's kind of disturbing, but I can't tell my parents that._ "Well, this time I thought I recognized one of the images in the whiteness. It looked a lot like my birthmark."

* * *

"Hey, Lelouch, I've been curious. What did Odysseus mean when he said he wasn't allowed to say 'CC'?"

"One of my orders to him when I was Emperor was to never mention the names of anyone involved in my little coup d'etat."

"Why?"

"A whim, I suppose."

The voice sounded amused. "You don't act on whims. Especially when it comes to geass."

"Oh? Believe what you will."

"It looks like it paid off after all, though."

"Meaning…"

"Meaning he truly believed that that girl was CC. And he felt loyal enough to Cornelia to break your geass."

"She's strong, that girl. However… Cornelia is strong, too."

* * *

Cornelia stared at Euphie. "What is going on? I'm Cornelia!" _It can't be… could it be that she's been pretending all along? She's not CC, or Euphie, or me, but a girl named Agnes? Could it be that she has that power?_

Euphie - _no, Agnes -_ looked at her sternly. "This imposter is trying to assassinate me and take my place! Guards, after her!"

"But, how can we be so sure?"

"I don't understand…" Cornelia thought desperately for an escape.

"In this case, we're sorry for the real Cornelia but we'll have to arrest you both."

"My children!" Agnes shouted in mock pain. "Please, let me see my children!"

Cornelia looked toward the garden in horror. _This is just a distraction. What if she has forces waiting to ambush us? NO! I can't lose one more important person!_ "I must save my daughters!" She ran as fast as she could towards the door. The guards tried to stop her but she was too fast and was fueled by a mother's fury.

One shot went off and hit her in the leg. She screamed but kept running.

_I must save my children!_ She burst through the doors and ran into the garden.

"Mommy!"Her children ran to her happily, but stopped when they saw her leg. Her husband stood up with the help of his cane.

"Cornelia!" His voice was shot through with worry and fear. "We need to get you to a doctor!"

The doors burst open and guards rushed out.

"No, Guilford. We need to evacuate. NOW!"

* * *

I hope that wasn't too much to process... so please... you guessed it... review!


	9. Phase 8: Truth and Lies

Hey everyone! Once and for all, I do not own Code Geass or any CLAMP work or Pizza Hut... and this goes for all chapters previous and all chapters to come, too.

Tyler Ci Brittannia: Well, well, well, you figured out my secret identity rather quickly :) Yes, I'm a long-lost princess from a parallel universe... jk. I do have a bit of royal blood, though, but in this modern world that doesn't really matter.

Anyway, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. If you are reading this and haven't reviewed yet, please do. Compliments and criticisms are accepted equally, just no flames please!

**~Chapter 8: Truth and Lies~**

"Are you okay?"

"Why do you ask?" I looked at my parents, slightly confused.

"You just seem a bit out of it tonight."

"Yeah! I'm perfectly fine! It's just a nightmare, everyone gets them once in a while, right? Besides, it's not like it actually happened or anything." I sipped my milk.

They glanced at each other with a strange mix of pity and relief that I couldn't quite interpret. I looked at Bobby, who seemed a bit deeper in thought than usual. _What's going on here? It's not like I haven't had this nightmare before._

"Kaguya, darling, I think it's time we told them."

Mama nodded. After a bit of silence, she spoke to us in rehearsed tones. "Sweetie, there's something you and Bobby need to know. We should have told you earlier but perhaps you wouldn't have been ready to hear it just yet." She paused, gauging our reactions.

I looked again at Bobby. Strangely enough, he looked as if he already knew what they were going to say. _Am I the only one here who doesn't know? Should I know? Or perhaps it's what I expected all along..._

_

* * *

  
_

"Retreat! All guards retreat! This is an order from EG-27, code Hawthorne! The Cornelia still in the palace is the culprit! I repeat, retreat and capture the Cornelia in the palace!"

Cornelia and Guilford looked at each other, relieved. "Princess, I think you should go see a doctor now."

"How many times have I told you not to call me princess?"

"You'll always be a princess to me. A princess and a president." He picked her up, carefully avoiding moving her leg, and set her down in the grass, lying on her back.

She smiled gently at her husband. "I love you so much. I would never want to lose you or Felicity or Elizabeth, not ever." Their girls sat down on either side of her and held her hands.

"What happened in there?" She told him everything, including the part where 'Euphie' suddenly changed demeanor and the guards thought she was another Cornelia.

"It's so strange. She still looked like Euphie, but all of the sudden the guards thought she was me! There's only one power in the world that could be capable of such deception."

A young man walked towards them through the rose bushes. The sun was shining on his spikey red hair. "It's a geass."

"Who are you and how would you know?"

He bowed to them. "I am Willem, youngest member of the Elite guards."

Cornelia relaxed. "Willem! You've grown so much since we last saw you. How are your parents?"

"They're fine. They still have to travel a lot; I suppose that's what comes of being part of the Black Knights."

"You could have joined them. Couldn't you? Why did you decide to be a part of the Brittanian guard?"

"I have my reasons. Among them, that I was one of the few people who knew about geass and I suspected that should a new revolt begin it would start here, in Brittania."

"And you were right."

"I was on duty in the security office just now. As you know, physical objects can't be geassed, and that goes for cameras as well. I noticed a few of the cameras were out and I asked the other guards to go repair them. I'm so sorry, Cornelia. They found Odysseus's body."

She closed her eyes against the tears. "I expected that. As soon as Eu – Agnes – took out her knife, I knew she had killed him. She hadn't even bothered to clean the blade. That's when I knew for certain that the old Euphie was truly dead." Guilford wiped her eyes for her.

"Were you the one who ordered the retreat?"

"Yes. As soon as I saw you running I had figured out what was going on and gave the order. Now before we talk anymore, we need to get you to a doctor, Mrs. President."

* * *

RR woke up. The sun was just beginning to shine through the trees and the birds were singing as if the world was still at peace. _Unfortunately, not for much longer._

He glanced at his phone. _Things seem to be moving rather quickly on the other side of the world. It won't be much longer before it reaches here._

"Tatiana, you will be alright. No matter what happens, you will always be alright."

_

* * *

  
_

"We aren't your real parents."

Maybe I should have felt angry at them for keeping this information from me, or maybe I should have felt confused, or perhaps I should have felt happy to know something I didn't before. But I didn't. I just felt calm. _Somehow, I already knew._

I looked at Mama – _she's still Mama even if she isn't 'mother' – _smiling a little. "Thank you for telling us, but I think I figured it out already."

They all turned to me. "You did?"

"Yeah."

Mama and Papa looked relieved, but Bobby was looking at me as if I had sprouted two heads all of the sudden. "Do you remember them? Our parents?"

I shook my head. "No. Do you?"

He hesitated a moment, and shook his head 'no.' But for that one moment, it sure looked like he was remembering _something_.

* * *

So the truth is out now! But which is truth and which is a lie?

Reviews! Please review!


	10. Phase 9: Choice

Everanix: Thanks for the advice, I'll keep it in mind!

Tyler Ci Britannia: Don't worry, there's plenty of chapters to go! 20-50 more sounds about right, but it looks like it's going to be closer to 50 at this point...

**~Chapter 9: Choice~**

"I knew you would be alright."

RR picked up the phone and dialed. "It's time. Have you found someone yet?"

"Yes. He's a very interesting young man. Kallen's son. I think he has a high potential."

"Now that all the conditions have been fulfilled, I'm going to her."

"And Robert? Would he interfere, do you think?"

"Yes. But what can he do? I don't think he would go as far as he did before. He loves this family too much."

"Kaguya Sumeragi is a good mom, isn't she? If she saw you now, I think she would understand why we made that choice. I… I reget the choices we've made so much…"

"It was the only choice we could make. A choice for the world, and for the next generation."

"I know. But… it's still a hard choice. Especially now."

* * *

An few hours earlier, New Camelot, Britannian Republic

Agnes watched Cornelia running for the door and braced herself. 3…2…1… she was out, with almost the whole guard on her tail. There were just five left with her. _They've underestimated me._

None of them saw her coming. With three lightning fast kicks she knocked out all of them. She picked up one of their standard-issue guns and ran the opposite way. _I am a Britannian guard._

Several guards ran towards the presidential office. _I am a Britannian guard. I am one of you._ Her right eye glowed red and the geass sigil flew to the guards before they had a chance to see her true form.

She saluted their officer as they passed her. "Sergeant Villanueva reporting! Messenger to HQ!"

He returned her salute, more concerned with protecting his president than with a lowly sergeant's duty.

"_Retreat! All guards retreat! This is an order from EG-27, code Hawthorne! The Cornelia still in the palace is the culprit! I repeat, retreat and capture the Cornelia in the palace!"_

She smiled. _I can hardly believe it's all going to plan. Now the security office will be empty – except for our target._

The red-haired boy was sprinting towards her. _And… now!_ She release her geass at him. He slowed down when he saw her. "Sergeant Villanueva reporting! Messenger to HQ!"

"I didn't think we had a Villanueva in the service. Right now, I am HQ. What is your message?"

"Sir, the president has been taken hostage by her look-alike! There is no way to tell between them!"

"I see. Well, you can give this message to the kidnapper. 'I…' Are you listening carefully?"

"Yes, sir!"

"I know who you are." Before even she could react, he twisted her arm to disarm her and knocked her out cold. "Agnes."

* * *

"So, do you have any idea who our real parents are?"

"No. Both of you just showed up on the doorstep one night about four years ago. Bobby was carrying you, poor thing. You had already reached maturity then."

_Four years?! _"But we should remember them, then! I was thirteen and Bobby was ten. We should still remember…"

"You've had that nightmare ever since you came here. I think that something traumatic must have happened to both of you and you blocked out your memories in hopes of making a new life. I don't want to assume anything, but it's possible your parents died in a fire."

_I was standing on a grassy hill looking out at the distant mountains and forested valley. I looked back towards the house._

_It was burning._

_I ran towards the house, but the faster I ran the more distant it became. Everything faded into a whiteout._

"That makes sense…" _But there's that one part I don't understand…_

_Suddenly I heard Bobby's voice._

"_Come with me. Trust me. Do you trust me?"I saw strange images of people walking, and skulls, and a mark I seemed to remember._

"_I… I don't understand. Who are you?"_

"_What are you talking about? I'm your little brother. And you're Tatiana, isn't that so?"_

"_No… I don't remember…"_

"_Good." The whiteness seemed to close in on me and the images came faster and faster._

I looked towards Bobby. He was looking at me in a way I have never seen before – a mix of protective and scared. _Why would Bobby be scared? And why would he be the one to ask for my trust? Wouldn't I already trust him? We're brother and sister, right? And why would he be glad that I didn't remember anything?_

"There's something else you should know."

"What?"

"My maiden name is Sumeragi."

"WHAT!? As in Kaguya Sumeragi, the first chairperson of the UFN?"

"That's me." She smiled. "I didn't like the fame as much as I thought I would. So I retired and came back to my hometown. That's when I met your Papa, Akira Mihara. We settled here, away from all the politics and messiness of the cities, and planned to live out our days farming."

"That's right. But we weren't able to have children, so when you two came along it was like a miracle. We would do anything for you."

"Bobby, Tatiana, you may not be our children by blood but for the past four years we have raised you as if you were. We love you both so very much. We're so sorry we lied to you, we just wanted you to treat us as if we were your parents." She started to cry. "I'm so sorry."

"Mama." She looked up. "Mama, thank you. You did what you thought was right. You will always be Mama to me, no matter what."

She tried to smile and cried even harder. I hugged her close. "I love you, Mama!"

"Tatiana, I love you, too!"

* * *

Awwwwlll... Kaguya sure grew up, huh? Review please!


	11. Phase 10: Variables

Hi all, I know the last few chapters have been rather dark but it'll start to lighten up from this point on. Now, if you would be so kind as to read and review, also know as R&R, please? Pretty please with mokona AND Cheese-kun on top?

**~Chapter 10: Variables~**

_God, my head is killing me…_ Agnes opened her eyes slowly. _Who turned off the lights?_ She was handcuffed to what seemed to be a very solid metal pole. _Dammit! That's right, I got captured! This was so not part of the plan. Damn Crone._

"You're finally awake."

She turned towards the voice. All she could see was a vague silhouette of a figure in a chair. "Who are you?"

"Your target." The voice sounded as if it was smiling.

"How did you know…"

"It's not very polite to geass an officer, you know. Willem was just doing his job. Not that it affected him much. Your weakness is that if someone already saw you in your true form, your geass doesn't work on them. You're lucky it wasn't a fatal weakness."

"Go to hell!"

"If your contractor had told you anything you would know that that's one of two places I cannot go to."

Agnes kept silent. _She never told me anything. Could it be that she -_

"You're just a pawn to her."

"Who says I don't know who you are?"

"Then who am I?"

* * *

It had been three days since Mama and Papa had told us everything they knew, and I still couldn't process it all. _I'm an orphan. Mama is Kaguya Sumeragi. My parents died in a fire. Bobby – I have no clue why he was acting that way._

I tried to do my homework, but I had way too many questions crowding my head to allow for equations and variables. _There's enough mystery in my life right now. I don't need another variable to solve. _I sighed and put it away_. At least I'm a good enough student, enough so that a few days of slacking off won't matter._ I wanted to talk to someone, but Mama and Papa were out at the movies and Bobby – well, for various reasons I was still unsure of how to approach Bobby.

The doorbell rang. "I'll get it!"

I ran downstairs and opened the door. "Kagami! What are you doing here?" She blushed.

"Actually, I… I bought tickets to a movie and I – "

I smiled knowingly. "He has no plans, and I'm sure he'd love to see a movie with you! Wait right here!"

I ran upstairs and burst into Bobby's room. "Guess who's here?"

"Can you learn how to knock, please?"

"Guess! Guess!"

"From the way you're acting, it has to be – "

"Too slow! Kagami's here!"

"That's just what I was going to say." He sighed. "Tell her I'm busy and I can't come downstairs."

"You're just playing games, right? Have a heart! She came all the way over here to ask you out!"

"WHAT?!" His face flushed redder than I have ever seen it.

"That's right. She made her move first. So you BETTER go down there and go with her!"

"She wants to ask me out!?"

"Yes! So stop staring into space and GO!" I grabbed his arm. "Geez, as smart as you are you can still be so clueless sometimes."

"I – I didn't know… she thought of me that way…"

"Now you do! Isn't it wonderful?" He followed me downstairs in a daze. Kagami lit up when she saw him.

"You two have fun! I'll watch the house!" I pushed him outside and closed the door.

_It must be nice to love someone._ _I wonder if I'll ever find someone who will love me for all of who I am._ I touched my birthmark. _All of me._

* * *

"I haven't a damn clue who you are."

"As I thought. The Cauldron Crone didn't tell you anything."

"You already seem to know everything about me and my contractor. So why the hell go through the trouble of interrogating me?"

"Did you think I was going to interrogate you? I already know everything, like you said. I stopped you because you would have thrown off the balance of peace Lelouch worked so hard for."

"Lelouch? The Demon Emperor? He was anything but peaceful."

"You know nothing about Lelouch."

A phone rang. "She woke up… Yes… You are? That's convenient… She still likes pizza, huh?... Of course… Until then." There was a bit of silence after the phone was hung up.

"It seems your fate will have to wait a little while."

Agnes heard the door open and turned towards the sound. The lights turned on. Willem was in the doorway, carrying a stack of thin boxes.

"You bastard! You're the one who knocked me out!"

"So you woke up."

She gritted her teeth and looked around. They were in a beautiful room, replete with chandeliers and and a four poster bed. For a moment she let her guard down as she took in all the little details.

_We're probably still in the palace then. Why would they keep me here, knowing my geass? Wait… shit. My geass is my prison. Chances are the guards in this corridor have seen me either as Euphemia, Cornelia or the fictitious Sergeant Villanueva. Damn it!_

She looked up. She was handcuffed to a ballet bar running along the wall. She followed it with her eyes to the source of the voice. And froze.

"You!"

* * *

Muahahaha... cliffhangers are so fun to write! Soooo... it's your last chance to guess who it is on the phone with Lulu! Any final theories? I promise I won't laugh... really, I won't.


	12. Checkpoint Two!

**~Checkpoint Two! The Story So Far~**

Time for another checkpoint! Once again, I'm going to summarize the storylines, characters, and additional info, in that order:

* * *

**Tatiana's storyline:** While Bobby attempts to teach Tatiana how to play the game, he tells her that he feels as if they're being watched. Tatiana is worried when he says RR might have something to do with it. She tries to figure out who she is and the thought of green comes up. That night, she has a nightmare of a house burning and Bobby asking her to trust him. When her parents come into the room, she just tells them that this time she recognizes one of the images as her birthmark. Her parents tell her that actually they aren't their real parents. Tatiana doesn't remember anything about her life before, and Bobby says he doesn't remember either. Their (foster) parents theorize that their real parents may have died in a fire and they suppressed the memory. On top of all this, their foster mom is actually Kaguya Sumeragi. A few days later, Kagami comes over to ask Bobby out to the movies. Tatiana is a bit jealous and wishes for someone able to love all of her, including her oddly-shaped birthmark. She has the house to herself despite her desire to talk to someone about all this new information.

**Lelouch's storyline:** In his conversations on the phone, Lelouch reveals that he's met Tatiana before and since then she has forgotten everything. He says he regrets all his choices all the time, but it is as yet unknown as to what choices he's referring to. While Odysseus was under his geass to obey him, he ordered him to not mention anyone involved in his coup. This means that Agnes is very strong to portay CC so accurately, and that Odysseus was truly loyal to Cornelia. Lelouch wakes up from a brief sleep at dawn, seemingly knowing what Tatiana is about to go through as she learns the truth about her parents. The person on the phone with him has found Kallen's son and says he has a high potential. Lelouch says he's going to Tatiana now that 'all the conditions have been fulfilled'. He thinks Robert will interfere somehow but won't go 'as far as he did before' because he loves this family. It seems that the person on the phone with him is also Agnes' target and is living with Willem.

**New Camelot storyline: **Cornelia and 'Euphie' pull out their weapons at the same time. Euphie claims once more that she just wants to know where Zero is, saying 'he's the only one who knows – ' before stopping herself. Cornelia knows who Zero really is and possibly where he is but she realizes that this Euphie isn't the one she loved and decides to kill her. Before she can do so, however, 'Euphie' reveals herself to really be Agnes and geasses the guards into seeing her as Cornelia. The real Cornelia runs for her children and husband despite getting shot in the leg. Willem orders the guards to retreat and capture Agnes, who meanwhile had knocked out the guards left with her and geassed those she encountered to see her as a fellow guard. She meets Willem in the corridor, unaware that he has already seen her true form and therefore is immune to her geass. He knocks her out and takes her to his room before going to see Cornelia. She had just told Guilford what happened and thinks it's a geass. Willem confirms it and informs Cornelia that Odysseus was killed. A few days later, Agnes wakes up and talks to her target. She reveals that she knows little to nothing of what the Cauldron Crone actually wants, and that she doesn't even know who her target really is, only where she was at the time. Her target is living with Willem and seems to be the person on the phone with Lelouch.

* * *

**Tatiana:** _Aka Sis. _Lelouch, his phone person, and Robert all seem to know her real identity, even though it is a mystery to everyone else including herself. She has a birthmark (explained in further detail below) below her breast. Her nightmare (also explained below) seems to indicate that she lost her memory after her house burned up, four years previous. Despite the fact that Kaguya lied to her, she still accepts her as Mama.

**Robert: **_Aka Bobby, Dagda._ A genius in everything except feelings. He claims to not remember their real parents but he seems to remember more of his past than Tatiana. It is unknown if what he said in her nightmare was something he actually said or not. He is suspicious of RR and has sensed Tatiana and himself being watched over the previous few weeks. Lelouch thinks he will interfere when he goes to Tatiana, but he won't go as far as he did before because he loves this family, meaning Kaguya and Akira. Exactly how he will interfere and why are still unknown. He likes Kagami and was shocked when she showed up to ask him out.

**Lelouch: **_Aka RR, Lulu, Warlock._ He once knew Tatiana, but four years ago she had forgotten everything and began a new life. Now, he is setting off to meet with her. Just what exactly he plans to do is unknown.

**Kaguya Sumeragi: **_Aka Mama. _Tatiana and Robert's foster mother. After the events of R2, she retired from her post as chairperson of the UFN and returned to her hometown. There, she met Akira and left for a quiet place in the countryside. Four years ago Robert showed up on their doorstep carrying Tatiana. She has taken care of them since and has grown to love them as if she was their real mother.

**Akira Mihara: **_Aka Papa. _Kaguya's husband. He met Kaguya in her hometown and they planned to live a quiet life out in the countryside. Akira saw it as a miracle when Tatiana and Robert came to live with them because Kaguya couldn't have children of her own. He has also grown to love Tatiana and Robert as his own children.

**Kagami: **Still shy as ever, she recently worked up the courage to ask Bobby to the movies. Bobby was completely unaware that she liked him as well.

**CC:** _Aka Witch. _Only revealed in flashback so far. Her current identity is still a mystery.

**Phone Person: **Still unknown, although they seem to be one and the same as Agnes' target. This person says they have found Kallen's son, a boy with 'high potential'.

**Agnes: **_Aka 'Euphie', 'Cornelia', 'CC', 'Sergeant Villanueva'. _A girl with a geass able to project the illusion of another identity. Her known limitations are that once someone has seen her true form, they will be immune to her; conversely, anyone who has seen her in another form will only see her in that form. Her mission is still unclear, but it seems to have involved interrogating Cornelia on the whereabouts of Zero, causing great confusion, and in the confusion capturing her target in the security office.

**Agnes' Target: **An unknown person who knows everything about Agnes and her mission. They say hell is one of two places they cannot go, indicating that they are probably an immortal Code-bearer. Also they know the truth about Lelouch and appear to be one and the same as the person on the phone with him.

**Willem:** An Elite Guard, stationed at the presidential palace in New Camelot. His parents are Black Knights and travel frequently. He was on duty in the security office when Agnes first infiltrated the palace as 'CC', which would make it more than likely that he had the security credentials to record phone calls and video footage of the events. It is unknown exactly what his relationship is to Agnes' target.

**Cornelia: **_Aka Princess, President. _The current president of Brittania, married to Guilford with two daughters.

**Guilford: **Cornelia's husband, a former president of Brittania and father to two daughters.

**Felicity: **_Aka Feliz._ Cornelia's daughter.

**Elizabeth: **Cornelia's daughter.

**Cauldron Crone: **_Aka crone, old hag. _Although Euphie is clearly still dead and thus couldn't have been revived by the Cauldron Crone, Agnes does refer to her as an actual person. She is presumably Agnes' contractor and thus an immortal Code-bearer. She planned out her whole mission, including where her target would be. She also seems to know where everything is in the palace. It is unknown how she knew this. Her goal is unknown as well.

And don't forget…

**Mokona: **puu~!

**Cheese-kun: ***caramelldansen*

* * *

**Tatiana's Birthmark: **An oddly shaped mark below her breast. She says that one of the nightmare images looks like her birthmark. When she has her nightmare, it includes the same shock images that CC can occasionally project. One of these images is a rough, barely recognizable scrawl of the geass sigil. So her mark is more than likely shaped like the geass sigil. Whether it looks exactly like CC's scar or if it is shaped a bit differently is unknown at this point. She calls it a witchmark, since it is so unusual that were anyone other than her family to know of it they would probably fear her out of superstition. One major difference from CC's scar is just that – it does not seem to be a scar but rather simply a darker patch of skin.

**Tatiana's Nightmare: **In her nightmare, Tatiana is standing over a peaceful scene when she looks back and sees a house on fire. As she runs towards it, it fades into whitness and she sees the same images that CC is occasionally able to project – skulls, zombie-like people, and the geass sigil. She hears a voice asking her to trust him and she asks who he is. This is where her nightmare previously left off. However, recently the stranger's voice has been replaced by Bobby's voice, and the conversation has continued a bit more before the nightmare ends. In this new scenario, Bobby appears to be aware of their past and is glad that Tatiana has forgotten. Alternatively, Bobby may have been a stranger who somehow forced Tatiana to forget. At this point, both scenarios are equally likely.

* * *

I'm giving you guys another chance to guess who is on the phone with Lelouch and who Agnes' target is. Next chappie will reveal it! Also I started a forum for you guys if you want a place to talk about this story without it counting as a review. It's called Tatiana's Turn (preeeetty straightforward), and it's in the Code Geass section, naturally. But I really do like reviews, guys...


	13. Phase 11: Everything Shifts

Chaos0205: I shall try, and we shall see!

Tyler Ci Britannia: Ummm, I don't think geass works over the internet... lol. As for your theories this chapter should clarify some of them.

Y'all let me know what you think, okay?

**~Chapter 11: Everything Shifts~**

She looked up. She was handcuffed to a ballet bar running along the wall. She followed it with her eyes to the source of the voice. And froze.

"You!"

"What?" The girl tossed her grass green hair over her shoulder.

"But you disappeared! It's been twenty years since anyone saw you!"

"That's impossible. Obviously, Willem saw me."

"That's not what I meant!"

Willem set down the boxes. "CC, you ordered one cheese, one sausage, pineapple and pepper, and one – er – skittles and icing?"

"Yes."

"S-Skittles and icing?" Agnes twitched.

"Yes." CC walked over to the pizza and picked up a slice. "You want some, too?"

"I th-think I'll pass."

"It's your dinner, then."

"I said I'll pass."

"I said it's your dinner."

"Are you saying if I don't eat it I don't get dinner?"

"Correct!"

"What is this, some new brand of torture? Death by failure to eat alien pizza?"

"I'll make you a deal, then. If you eat one slice of the skittles and icing within the next two minutes, I'll let you have one of the other pizzas."

Agnes gulped. _I'm not that desperate. I can – _Her stomach growled.

"You've got one minute thirty seconds left."

_Shit, betrayed by the body. _She huffed.

"Bring me a slice…"

* * *

"Kagami, um, ah, do you… like me?"

She blushed. "Y-yes."

"I… I'm sorry."

"For what?" She looked at Bobby with concern.

"Because… we can't…"

"I know. But – I still like you. I like you a lot."

He looked back at her. "I like you too."

She smiled sorrowfully. "Just for now, I want to pretend… that we can be together."

He raised his hand. She raised hers just in front of his, a few inches away. They got closer and closer, until they were just about to touch. Bobby pulled his hand away.

"I can't risk it."

"I know." She took out the tickets. "Let's go in, okay?"

He wanted to brush away Kagami's tears, but he couldn't. _Isn't it ironic that the power I wanted so badly then is the only thing preventing me from the love I want just as badly now?_

_

* * *

  
_

I lay down on the couch. _Finally! My god, I was wondering when he and Kagami were going to get together. This is so exciting! My brother's first date with his first crush!_

I blinked. _Actually, she was the first person we met when we came here… I always thought we all moved here four years ago but I guess I was wrong, huh? That would make her the first person besides Mama and Papa to know us here… HOW CUTE! Awww~!_

_This smell…_ I sat up. "But Mama and Papa shouldn't be back for at least another hour!"

The doorbell rang. I skipped over there and opened the door to a lanky, dark haired boy holding a pizza box.

"Hi! Umm, and you are?"

"I'm Artur. I come bearing gifts, in apology."

"Pizza, for me? Really? Apology for what?"

"I couldn't share a pizza with you that night; I got an emergency call just then."

"Oh? What do you do, exactly?"

"I'm a psychiatrist, I suppose." He smiled wryly.

"Really, Artur? OH! I'm so sorry, it's RR, isn't it? Bobby corrected me later." I glanced at the pizza. _Actually, I am pretty hungry…_

He saw my peek. "It's pepperoni and peppers. I didn't know exactly what you wanted, but – "

"PEPPERONI AND PEPPERS IS MY FAVORITE!"

"Really? I wasn't sure."

_What is Bobby so worried about? RR is truly such a nice, sweet person._"Come on in!"

"It's okay?"

"Yeah! Mama and Papa will be back in an hour or so, and I'm sure they'd love to meet you."

"Perhaps."

We sat down at the table and started eating.

"Wow! This is delicious!"

"I'm glad you like it." He paused. "Tatiana, can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"What do you think of your parents?"

I froze. "I… well, I love them, of course… but…" I looked at RR. He had this look in his eyes as if he knew exactly what I was going through and he was intently worried about me. _I've never seen someone other than Mama look at me that way. Not even Bobby._

So I told him. Everything.

* * *

Willem sighed. Having CC in his room was stressful enough, but now he had to deal with that Agnes girl as well.

"I'm going to check up on Cornelia. Keep it down. I don't want to have to lie about you."

"Why should we obey you!?"

"Agnes, do you want me to tell them I paid extra for you or for CC?"

"WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING?"

"Like I said, keep it down."

She started to say something, and then shut her mouth.

CC spoke quietly. "When you return, Willem… "

He turned to look at the immortal girl.

"…you'll get your reward of power. My last one… "

He nodded.

_Last, but certainly not least…_

_

* * *

_

CC finally revealed! You guys can theorize away now, ok? If she isn't CC, who is Tatiana? And what is preventing Bobby and Kagami from being together?

R&R onegai!


	14. Phase 12: Crone's Crony

Chaos0205: We shall see... But if she is, why isn't she living with one of them? I'd love to hear more theories! That goes for everyone reading this!

Merines Shinku: To the wall? In what way??? jk. Again, we'll see...

Enjoy! }(v'*) (random pufferfish)

**~Chapter 12: Crone's Crony~**

When I finished, the only sound was the wind whispering faintly around the house.

"I'm sorry. You probably didn't want such a long answer as that."

RR smiled. "It's okay. I'd rather get a long answer. Especially from you." He made a motion as if to hold my hand, but put it up to his face instead. He had a rose gold and topaz ring on his ring finger. _Wow! Beautiful! Isn't he a little too young to be married, though?_

"RR? Why are you so interested in me anyway?"

"You really do remind me of someone I know. Do you remember anything of your life before, besides your dream?"

"No. Just that, somehow, green is important."

"I see. Well, I really should go now. But until I see you again," He leaned over and kissed my forehead. "Sweet dreams."

I blinked. "Eh?"

"Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite." He walked to the door. "It's a Britannian way to say 'oyasuminasai'[good night]."

"Wait! I don't even know your story! You listened to mine, I should at least return the favor!"

"Oh, that's right. You said that before, too… listen. Tatiana, the best way to return the favor is to pass it forward. Share pizza with someone who needs someone to talk to. Listen to their story. Head over to their house and cheer them up. You have a knack for that. Use it. Use all the power you have to make the world a little less dark, and I'll know."

Before I could reply to him, the door swung shut and I was alone once more. _Just who IS this guy? Damn, his wife must be the luckiest woman on Earth._

_

* * *

  
_

"CC."

"What?"

"Don't you ever get sick of eating pizza!?"

"What a strange question." She was finished up the last slice of cheese pizza. "Of course not."

"You're calling ME strange? The hell is wrong with you?!"

"Go to sleep, Agnes. Or do you want some more of the skittles and icing pizza?"

"What do you want from me anyway?"

"I already told you. I want you to stop destroying the peace Lelouch created."

"What peace? He was evil!" Agnes glared at the immortal. It was then that she noticed the silver and amethyst ring she wore. _CC… married? Oh shit! There's only one person she could be married to and I just insulted him! Damn!_ She braced herself for a woman's rage.

"Oh? And what are you? Do you consider yourself good, then?"

She blinked. "Well, yeah. Comparitively." _She's not angry? Well, I suppose she's used to it now._

"Why do you work for the Cauldron Crone?"

"Oh god no, I am not going to let you convert me!"

"I don't want to convert you. I just want to know."

"Like hell I'll tell you!"

"Why did I agree to take this side of the world…" CC sighed.

"What?"

"It doesn't matter to you. Nothing important does."

"You're wrong! There are some very important things that matter to me!"

"Care to tell?"

"NO!"

"I'm going to order a chili, sea salt and Tabasco pizza, then." She started to dial the palace chef's number on her phone.

"Good for you. Enjoy."

"It's not for me. This time, you can have it all yourself. Unless, of course, you care to tell me what's so important to you."

Agnes gulped. _Shit._

_

* * *

  
_

"I had a really nice time."

"Me, too… Kagami? Please, find someone who can love you. Be happy. Please."

"No." She looked at him, the tears starting to form in her eyes again. "I am happy. Even if I can't be with you, I'm happy to know that you think of me. It doesn't matter as much to me whether we can touch or not. I'm happy already."

"Kagami…"

"Don't speak. Just… just accept it."

They stayed in the silence under the trees, not moving or speaking, looking at each other with an intense love that could not be fulfilled. Bobby resisted the urge to kiss her, but when he couldn't handle it anymore, he looked away. "Good night."

"Good night, Bobby. See you in school."

"Yeah."

He waited until her footsteps had faded away completely before turning and walking home. There was something troubling him, for just a moment, but it was lost in the hazy feelings of love. He focused and brought it to the front of his mind.

_Her footsteps… she was walking… yes! She was walking in the wrong direction. Her house is the other way… _His head snapped up and he ran back to the spot under the trees. He looked in the direction her footsteps had gone.

He stared into the darkness of the forest at the edge of the village.

* * *

DUNdun_dun_... The Kagami mystery continues!

Reviews to me are like pizza to CC. Please serve them fresh and frequently! XD


	15. Phase 13: Encounters

Chaos0205: Good points, but some info in this chappie may change that idea...

Tyler Ci Britannia: Twists are indeed up ahead... And LOTR ROCKS! I liked the books better though, everyone should read them. And everyone should learn at least one elvish phrase in their lifetime... to get you all started, _elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo_ ("A star shines on the hour of our meeting"), which is how Frodo first greets the elves. I'm such a nerd...

**~Chapter 13: Encounters~**

"My important thing… you mean what my wish was, right? Why I wanted a geass in the first place?"

"Yes."

Agnes looked at CC. _I don't trust her at all, but I REALLY don't want another of her pizza creations…_

"I have the chef on speed-dial, you know."

"My wish – "

The phone rang and CC answered it immediately. "Yes.. It went well, I see… Must you, Lelouch?..."

Agnes started. _So the demon himself is involved. Damn, what have I gotten into? The hell did that crone want me to do anyway, once I had captured CC?_

She looked at CC. Suddenly she realized just how different CC was when talking with Lelouch. She had made a shift from coldness and threats towards softness and easygoing jests. _Is this what love looks like?_

CC laughed, her interrogation of Agnes seemingly forgotten. "…Now what will she think of you? Really, consider that she's a grown woman… I am not!... Of course…"

She frowned. _She doesn't deserve happiness. She's had everything so easy – the money, the society, the immortality, the love – she has no idea what it's like to be me. She doesn't deserve it. Any of it._

_

* * *

  
_

Kagami walked slowly through the forest. "I guess I couldn't tell him after all. I want him to know… but it would just be too tempting for the both of us. And he doesn't want to hurt me." She let her tears flow for the third time that night. "Not that he ever could hurt me."

She dug in her pocket for the small flashlight. "There you are." A circle of red surrounded her. "My night eye."

She continued walking down the familiar path. It had been four years since she had first come here and discovered the well in the middle of the forest. Four years since she had met two disheveled travellers. Four years since she had fallen in love, despite knowing just how impossible it would be to fulfill that love.

"Discovery Well." That's what she had named it, and it had become her place of refuge when she just needed to speak to the silence.

She stared down into the well. Darkness hid its depths, but in the quiet of the forest she could just faintly hear water sloshing around far below her. Her tears dropped into the darkness. She heard them meet the water several seconds later.

"I wanted to tell him that I love him. I always have. But if I do, it would just be too hard to stay away and… and he would never want that for me. I'm such a fool."

* * *

_a.t.b. 2034_

_Kagami ran through the forest. The sun's light created patterns with the leaves and roots on the ground. Her parents had told her to come straight home after school, but she never did. She always went into the forest. It was just something she needed to do._

"_Parents just don't understand!" She spun around and sang. "A girl like me will always be free!"She giggled. She had run almost as far as the limit of what she had explored. There was the Dwarf Tree, and to her right was Phoenix Cairn, and just beyond that, mystery._

_She slowed down as she passed the invisible line between the forest she knew and that which was unexplored and unmapped. As she went forward, she saw a strangely shaped rock. "And you shall be… umm… the Power Rock!" She didn't know why that name came to her. It just did._

_She went forward, eager to explore more. And then she saw them. Sitting by an ancient well were two rag-covered children. A boy her age, with dirty blond hair. The girl looked a lot older than her, with red hair. Both of them looked as if they had been travelling for days without much food or rest._

_She dug into her backpack. Somewhere in there, she knew… yes!_

"_Here." The boy looked up with emotionless eyes. Kagami had her hand out, offering him one of her candy bars. "Please, take it." He reached out, carefully taking the bar. He stared at it._

"_It's candy. See? It's got lots of chocolate and nuts in it. And my daddy tells me nuts got this thing called protein in them. It's good for you."_

_He opened it cautiously and took a bite. His eyes widened. He ate half the bar faster than she ever could, but stuck the other half in a satchel at his side. "For when she wakes up."_

_The girl murmured something in her sleep."… don't remem…"_

_Kagami took out another candy bar from her bag. "I've got plenty. I just bought them before I came out here, so please, finish the other one."_

"_Thank you." He looked at her as if she had saved his life. She blushed._

"_Is she your sister?"_

_He paused, and then nodded. "Yeah. This is Tatiana, and I'm Robert."_

"_Do you guys have somewhere to stay?"_

"_Not yet."_

"_My daddy is a doctor. He can help you out and find someone you can stay with."_

"_Thanks. Really, thank you." She offered him a hand up, but Robert shook his head and used the well instead. He picked up Tatiana, stumbling slightly._

"_Please, let me help!" She grabbed her feet, while he moved towards her head. Together they made the journey out of the forest and to Kagami's home._

_

* * *

  
_

"And how is your campaign going?" He turned the cart towards his temporary camp in the forest.

"She doesn't like pizza."

"Is it working, then?"

"Yes, but sometimes it's her torturing me."

He heard someone scream in the backround, "Are you done yet!?"

"Are you that eager to resume our discussion?"

"WHAT DISCUSSION?!"

He couldn't help but smile. "I see what you mean."

"I have a pizza to order."

"Enjoy it."

"Have a good night, Lelouch." She hung up. He concentrated on the path again, and jumped in his seat. There, standing by the well on the way to his camp, was a young girl with short dark hair holding a red light flashlight. She looked up, shock in her sky blue eyes. The flashlight dropped to the ground. They shouted simultaneously.

"Why are you here?!"

* * *

Now what???

R&R!


	16. Phase 14: The Cursed Gift

Tyler Ci Britannia: Ummm, you're reading a bit much into the hair color... but as long as you review you'll be mentioned here :) They're not pointless, ya know! I like to know what all my random little details make people think. Everything is important, especially if it doesn't seem like it...

Chaos0205: For any other character it would make sense, just not Tatiana. And thanks! Without further delay here is the conclusion to the meeting between Lelouch and Kagami!

**~Chapter 14: The Cursed Gift~**

I looked up at the clock. _It's so late… where is Bobby? Mama and Papa got back three hours ago. Shouldn't the movie be done already? Well, he is a growing boy… and she's a growing girl, so… _I giggled. _My, Bobby is sure growing up fast tonight! Although they would probably be way too shy to do anything but kiss._

I closed my eyes and smiled. _Good for you, Bobby… _Slowly, sleep came over me and I dreamt.

_I was standing on a grassy hill looking out at the distant mountains and forested valley. _

"_Mama! Mama, look!"_

_The wind blew my long pink hair towards the woman. I couldn't quite make out what she looked like._

"_You look just like Auntie Anya, now, Tati."_

_I giggled. "She gives me lots of oranges when I visit! So this time I want to make her happy."_

"_I'm sure you will. Tati, I'll be inside with Papa. Call if you need me."_

"_Yeah!"_

_The wind blew faster. I sensed the passage of time as my hair changed colors. When the wind died down, it had settled on red._

_The sky had gotten darker and I shivered._

_I looked back towards the house._

_It was burning._

_

* * *

  
_

"Why are you here?!"

Kagami looked down. "I… I come here to calm down, sometimes…"

Lelouch looked at her. _Huh? Isn't she the girl that left their house just after I first got there? _"I'm sorry if I scared you. You see, my camp is a little ways in."

"Are you welcome here? In this town, I mean?"

He raised his hands in an 'I don't know' gesture. "I prefer the forest to the town in any case."

Kagami stared at his hand. "T-That symbol…" _It looks just like… _She smiled. "You can give it to me, right? Geass. The power of kings."

"How do you know…!?"

"It's all right. I just have a… friend that has the power. But I love him. And it's because of his power that I… I can't be with him. And he's so lonely! I want to be with him. Even if it means being cursed myself."

"What's your friend's name?"

"Bobby. Well, Robert, but everyone calls him Bobby."

_I see. _"What is your wish?"

"I want him to know how I feel. Without anything getting in the way. I just want to hold him and help him to not be lonely anymore."

_What a selfless wish. But the geass she would bear will be that much harder because it is not a wish for herself. This girl… she may prove to be useful. Especially because of him._

"I will grant that wish. But you must fulfill a contract with me."

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you when the time comes." He got off the cart and walked towards her. She stood still, smiling. "I'll finally be with Bobby."

"I can't know for certain what geass you will get, but it will certaintly support your wish." He grasped her hand, transferring the power to her.

* * *

The old woman opened her eyes. _It's been six days since Agnes passed beyond my ken. Really, that girl… If she gets captured, I'll have to start all over again. Another orphan. Another chance._

She leaned on her cane and stood up. "Another chance to finally gain control of the world. I've had a long life, and I'll soon have an even longer eternity. It's all thanks to you. Because of you, I have this gift. Because of you, I have this wish of mine."

She turned around and faced a tall woman with purple hair and downcast blue eyes. "Look at me when I talk to you!"

"Yes, mistress."

"QQ. It's only fitting that you would have this fate. You should be grateful to me."

"Yes, mistress."

"Contact him. We need all the information we can get on the whereabouts of Zero."

"I shall, mistress." She bowed to her and walked away slowly.

"Really. If it weren't for me, she would have died a long time ago. Perhaps she should have. Traitor."

* * *

_This presence…_ Bobby gritted his teeth. _I know this presence…_

He turned toward where the power was coming from and ran. _RR!_

He ran and ran, passing into a familiar part of the forest. _This is… this is the part of the forest where we first met. Did Kagami come here? _He gasped. _What if RR drew her here? Shit! Am I too late?! Please, Kagami, be careful!_

He broke through the trees. Kagami was sitting by the well, her back to him. There was no one else there. _I swear I sensed RR's power just now… Perhaps I was wrong?_

"Is that you, Bobby?"

"Kagami! Are you okay? I thought you were in danger, so…"

"I'm fine." She turned towards him. "I just need to tell you something."

"What's with you? You seem different from normal."

"Yes. I suppose… I am a changed woman." She looked up, her newborn geass sigil flying to him before he could react.

* * *

So, whoever Tatiana's folks are, they know Anya (and presumably Jeremiah)... can you all imagine an Anya who grew out her hair??? Weird, huh?

R&R&R&R&R&R&R&R!!!!!!


	17. Phase 15: Mirror of Dreams

Wow~! I got the most reviews so far on the last chapter, so this is going to be a bit longer of an intro! YAY! Thank you all!

Chaos0205: Well, it's not that you don't need to say it, exactly, but you'll see in this chappie...

starlight luna: Loads of questions! They're all definitely good ones, but they're going to remain mysteries for some time yet.

Tyler Ci Britannia: Good point with the hair. Tatiana's true hair color is still unknown though, she dyed it pink to please Anya. As for QQ... well, this will also remain a mystery for a while.

Everanix: Awww! Thanks, but yours is pretty good too! It has the same grey/morally neutral feeling as the original CG. Mine is mostly like the drama parts of CG ;) Yeah, I bet Mao found out from Charles and Marianne. Someone should write a fanfic where all the dead people on C's world comment on the events of the original plot. That would be hilarious(in a kinda morbid way)... hmm...

Violetcarson: I'm sorry it's confusing! There's another checkpoint coming up tomorrow, so if you or anyone else has any questions about the plot so far please message me or post it in the forum. I want to make sure everything is as clear as it can be without spoiling the plot.

**~Chapter 15: Mirror of Dreams~**

"What's with you? You seem different from normal."

"Yes. I suppose… I am a changed woman." She looked up, her geass sigil flying to him before he could react.

He blinked, and the world around him disappeared into whiteness.

"What – isn't this – ?! Kagami! What is this power?"

She walked towards him. "This is a dream for you and me. Just for right now, nothing matters if I don't want it to."

"But if you touch me – " He backed away.

Suddenly she disappeared. "Kagami!"

"It's all right." She was behind him. He turned quickly, and she put her hands on his cheeks. He gasped.

"See? I'm okay. You couldn't do anything to hurt me."

_Her hands… they're so soft…_ It was the first time they had ever touched.

She kissed him chastely. "I will grow this power, so please, wait for me. Someday, we will be able to touch one another truly, and not just in a shared dream."

He reached for her, but she disappeared again. She reappeared far from him. "Until then, goodbye."

"Don't go! Kagami, I love you!"

"I love you, too. That is why I must go."

* * *

Cornelia opened her eyes to deep blue eyes. "Willem… how long have you been here?"

"Long enough to make sure you're recovering from the surgery."

"More than a few hours, I take it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You can drop the formalities. It's been a while since I've seen you or your parents, but it's all thanks to your mother that I was able to truly understand Lelouch."

"I know. But now this…"

"Was the guard able to capture her? Agnes?"

"No. As far as they know, she's gone without a trace." He paused, and then took out a voice recorder. "If you don't mind, I'd like all the information you know about her and her goals."

"I understand."

* * *

"NO!" I woke myself up with my scream.

_It was… that dream again. _I stretched. _Bobby's voice again, too. Oh, that's right…_

I got up out of bed and walked to Bobby's room. "Bobby? You home yet?" I knocked. When there was no answer, I opened the door and looked in. _He's still not home? _ The clock on the wall read 3 AM. _Knowing Bobby, there is absolutely no way he'd be out past midnight. Even though it's Kagami… nope, not possible. Something must have happened to him!_

I ran back to my room as quietly as I could, careful not to wake up Mama and Papa. I tossed on a red and black country dress and grabbed a ribbon. I tied my hair back with it as I tiptoed downstairs.

"I'll be going now," I whispered to the quiet house.

As I opened the door, I was struck with a strange feeling. _It's like… I don't know why, but this almost feels like it's happened before._

I ran as fast as I could towards the movie theater, sure that if anything had happened to Bobby and Kagami, my best bet for clues would be there. I was so focused that I could hardly hear or see anything besides my own heartbeat and the path straight in front of me.

"Do you need any help?" I jumped. RR sat in his cart in front of me. I ran up to him, tears in my eyes.

"Bobby is missing! Please, help me find him!"

* * *

CC looked up as the door opened. Willem peeked into the room.

"Agnes is asleep, if that's what you're worried about."

"Thank god." He walked in, putting down another pizza. "How was your side of things?"

"I got quite a lot of information out of her."

"Same here. You first."

"The wish she wanted to fulfill when she gained her geass was 'to pretend.'"

He frowned. "What exactly does that mean?"

"She's an orphan from Pendragon. She lived on the streets, performing magic tricks for money. Eventually she fell into a local gang and learned how to fight. On the holidays she would get jealous when everyone else had a family to celebrate with. She would go around the houses, peeking into people's celebrations and pretend that she was a member of the family. So when the Cauldron Crone found her, her greatest wish was 'to pretend'."

"So, your geass is based on a wish?"

"Yes. I wanted to be loved. Lelouch wanted to have authority. Mao – I told you about him – he wanted to know what people thought of him. Whatever your strongest wish is, your geass supports it."

"I don't know what my strongest wish is."

"We shall soon see."

* * *

Was that too much info? Sorry if it was a bit of an overload!

What do you think? Again, is there anything at all that you guys are unclear on in the story so far?


	18. Checkpoint Three!

**~Checkpoint Three! The Story So Far~**

Hey guys! Alrightie, this time the storyline section is a bit long since there were more points of view in the past 5 chappies than before.

**

* * *

  
**

**Tatiana: **After musing about Bobby's date with Kagami, she opens the door to Lelouch carrying a pizza. Despite Bobby's warning, Tatiana lets him in. She ends up telling him everything that's been going on and what she's thinking about all of it. After she's done, she notices a topaz and gold ring on his finger. He kisses her goodnight, saying that the best way for her to return the favor would be to cheer someone else up and listen to them. Four hours later, Bobby still hasn't come home. Tatiana thinks they must be making out and falls asleep. In her dream, she is talking to her mother about 'Auntie Anya' before the rest of her nightmare proceeds. She wakes up at 3 in the morning and immediately looks for Bobby in his room. When she can't find him, she gets dressed and rushes towards the movie theatre in hopes of finding some clues there. She runs into Lelouch on the way and asks him to help her look for Bobby.

**Kagami and Bobby: **When Kagami admits that she likes him, Bobby apologizes since they cannot touch. She at first doesn't understand, but then she remembers what he's referring to and says she still likes him. He replies that he likes her as well. After the movie, Bobby tries to tell her to love someone else, but she says she's happy just knowing that he thinks of her. She heads into the forest towards Discovery Well. Bobby, realizing that she hadn't gone towards her house, retraces her steps. Kagami reaches the well and reminisces to when she first met Bobby and Tatiana. She is startled out of her memories by Lelouch's arrival. While he talks, she notices the Code on his hand and asks to be given a geass. He only agrees to it when he finds out that she's in love with Bobby. She uses her geass (further explained below) on Bobby. She kisses him and tells him goodbye, saying that she will grow her power until they can be together.

**Lelouch: **He comes over to Tatiana's house with her favorite, pepperoni and peppers pizza. While they share the pizza, he asks her how she feels about her parents and she tells him everything that has been happening. When she apologizes for the long story, Lelouch negates her apology and asks her to pass the favor forward. Afterwards he calls CC and they update each other on their respective missions while he goes back to the forest. When she hangs up, he looks back to the path and is shocked to see a young girl standing by a well. He gives her a geass when she tells him of her connection to Bobby. He leaves immediately afterwards, probably knowing that Bobby would seek out Kagami and not wanting to be there when that happens. Sometime later, he meets Tatiana and offers his help in her search for Bobby.

**New Camelot: **Agnes is shocked to see that her captor and target is CC. CC offers her a slice of skittles and icing pizza, which she only accepts when she realizes just how hungry she is. Before Willem leaves to check up on Cornelia, CC says that when he comes back he'll be receiving her last geass. Agnes notices that she's wearing a silver and amethyst ring and immediately deduces that she's married to Lelouch. She claims that there are a lot of important things that matter to her, and CC asks her to tell her just what those are unless she would prefer to eat a very spicy and salty pizza. She starts to tell her when CC gets a call from Lelouch. Meanwhile, Willem has been waiting for Cornelia to wake up after the bullet in her leg has been removed. He asks her for all the information she has on Agnes and her goals. Later, he consults with CC about them, who tells him how geasses are decided.

**Cauldron Crone: **The Cauldron Crone, who had been waiting for Agnes to return, decides to take matters into her own hands. She reveals her goal, which is to gain control of the world, but her motives are unknown. She tells QQ to contact 'him' so that they can find out exactly where Zero is. There is more information below, in her character description.

* * *

**Tatiana:** Lelouch, CC, and Robert all seem to know her real identity. She is slowly starting to remember her life from before four years ago. When Kagami met her and Bobby, she was asleep and having the nightmare she always has. Even then she had almost completely matured.

**Robert: **It's clear at this point that he remembers more than Tatiana does about their past. He has a geass which is preventing him from touching Kagami, but what his geass is exactly is unknown. He loves her. He can somehow sense Lelouch's presence and power, and he doesn't trust him.

**Lelouch: **He is married to CC and has been in contact with her all this time. However, it is unknown why they have to talk on the phone since Code-bearers should be able to talk to one another psychically. The exact reason for his interest in Tatiana and his avoidance of Bobby is unknown.

**Kagami: **She recently gained the power of geass from Lelouch. Her geass takes her and anyone she chooses to a shared dream, where she can will whatever she wants to happen, even neutralizing geass. She loves Bobby and has decided to grow her power until she can gain a Code and be immune to his geass.

**CC: **She is married to Lelouch and has been in contact with him all this time. She plans on giving Willem a geass, but it is unknown why she says it is the last she will give. She still loves pizza and has come up with some rather creative recipes for her own peculiar brand of torture.

**Willem:** An Elite Guard, stationed at the presidential palace in New Camelot. His mother, Kallen, and his father are Black Knights and travel frequently. He was on duty in the security office when Agnes first infiltrated the palace as 'CC' and he recorded the phone conversations and video footage to send to Lelouch. He has known about geass for quite a while as well as the true goals of Lelouch and CC, both of which he probably learned from Kallen. He doesn't know what his strongest wish is.

**Agnes:** A girl with a geass able to project the illusion of another identity. Her known limitations are that once someone has seen her true form, they will be immune to her; conversely, anyone who has seen her in another form will only see her in that form. This geass was given to her based on her wish of 'to pretend'. She's originally an orphan from Pendragon.

**Kallen: **Willem's mother. She still works for the Black Knights, now a peacekeeping force similar to the UN troops of our world, and is often travelling around the world with them.

**Kaguya Sumeragi:**Tatiana and Robert's foster mother. After the events of R2, she retired from her post as chairperson of the UFN and returned to her hometown. There, she met Akira and left for a quiet place in the countryside. Four years ago Robert showed up on their doorstep carrying Tatiana. She has taken care of them since and has grown to love them as if she was their real mother.

**Akira Mihara:**Kaguya's husband. He met Kaguya in her hometown and they planned to live a quiet life out in the countryside. Akira saw it as a miracle when Tatiana and Robert came to live with them because Kaguya couldn't have children of her own. He has also grown to love Tatiana and Robert as his own children.

**Cornelia: **The current president of Britannia, married to Guilford with two daughters. She says that it is thanks to Willem's mother, Kallen, that she was able to truly understand Lelouch.

**Guilford: **Cornelia's husband, a former president of Britannia and father to two daughters.

**Felicity: **Cornelia's daughter.

**Elizabeth: **Cornelia's daughter.

**Cauldron Crone:** An old woman who found Agnes when she was still a street kid in Pendragon. She is presumably Agnes' geass contractor, however she made the comment that she has had a long life and shall soon have a longer eternity. What exactly she means by that when she should be immortal already by gaining a Code is unknown. Since she is supposed to be able to revive the dead, that is presumably the power of her geass. How this works when geass is supposed to be a purely mental or spiritual power is unknown thus far as well.

**Anya: **Only mentioned in Tatiana's dream. Anya had grown out her hair and Tatiana dyed her own hair pink to match hers. She was still working on an orange farm, presumably with Jeremiah. She was friends with Tatiana's parents, whoever they might have been.

**QQ: **Now a servant to the Cauldron Crone, she seems to have once been her contractor. At one point her code was given or taken and she would have died if the Caldron Crone hadn't saved her. The Cauldron Crone refers to her as a traitor.

And don't forget…

**Mokona: **Konnichipuu~!

**Cheese-kun: ***caramelldansen with CC*

* * *

**Geass: **In the anime, Lelouch suggests that a geass is a form of a wish. While I have my own theories as to WHY geass acts this way, I cannot say them just yet. In any case, someone who gains a geass is gaining a power capable of fulfilling their wish, although most people end up forgetting their original wish. This is why CC started out wanting to be loved, but after the shock of the nun giving her the Code she forgot that wish and replaced it with a wish to die. I've already mentioned in brief what Lelouch's, CC's and Mao's wishes were. Charles mentioned that he saw many horrible things in his youth because his siblings and his father's wives were constantly fighting for power. His mother was brutally killed during one of those fights. So his wish could have been 'to forget' or 'to change the past'. Thus his geass could affect memory. Tragically, his own wish was an impossible one since if he used the geass on himself he would forget why he was fighting for a world without lies in the first place. Rolo's original wish is a total guess since his past before gaining his geass is unknown. However, I think there was something that he knew was about to happen and he wanted the power to stop it. This, too, ended up being a tragic wish for various reasons. I'll be elaborating on this in the story. For now, some food for thought; in both the early planning stages of CG and in some of the spin-offs, Rolo actually is Lelouch's twin, brother or half-brother(take your pick).

* * *

I may be a bit slower on posting now because I've got full work days, but I'll try to keep it to at least once every 3 days. Thank you for reading this fanfic! Once again, if you haven't reviewed (and even if you have), please do so.

Also, if anyone is keeping up with the xxxHoLic and/or Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles manga, I'd love to chat about some theories! I've posted some of them on my profile page, so visit soon, okay?

Finally, the forum is still empty other than my own attempts to start a conversation. Please feel free to post anything at all relating to Tatiana's Turn as long as it's flame-free.


	19. Phase 16: Undeserved Gratitude

Chaos0205 and everyone: I have updated the checkpoint to include some of how I think geass works. It's pretty bare-bones right now because later on in my story I'll be advancing a much more detailed theory that includes what Codes are, why it's a wish, and lots more! Indeed, everything is possible.

animalgun: Thanks! That's what I've been going for ^V^ Sorry it took a while, but here's my update!

Tyler Ci Britannia: nice ;) hopefully you'll be more up to reviewing this chappie!

Violetcarson: You'll see more details of how her geass works in this chappie, but it's not so much that it can neutralize geass as much as that whatever she wants to happen in the shared dream will happen, regardless of physical or mental barriers.

Again, sorry for the wait! Let me know what you think!

**~Chapter 16: Undeserved Gratitude~**

"Bobby is missing! Please, help me find him!"

"I know where he is." RR pointed behind him. "I saw him walking into the forest."

_The forest!? _I swung up into the seat beside him. "Please take me there!"

The cart turned around and we set off at a brisk pace. By the time we passed into the trees, the sky had already started to lighten to a predawn grey. I climbed onto the hay for a better view of the surroundings.

"Bobby! Bobby, it's me, it's sis!" I shouted as loudly as I could. "If you're here please come towards my voice! Bobby! Over here!"

I heard the slight crunch of someone stepping on leaves and sticks.

"Tatiana! You're with him?" I strained my eyes to see Kagami staring at me wide-eyed.

"Oh my god! You're here! Are you okay? Is everything okay?! Where is Bobby?"

"We're fine. But he – can you carry him?"

"What happened?!" I climbed off the cart as quickly as I could.

"Nothing. He's just asleep."

There were so many questions going around in my head, but I put them aside for now. "Kagami, lead the way. RR, can you help me carry him?"

"As you wish."

* * *

"What did you learn?"

"She wants Zero. I don't know why." He placed the voice recorder on the table and pressed play. When it finished, he looked up at CC and was startled to see her face filled with anger.

"This Cauldron Crone… If what she wants is to find Zero and to capture me this way, then it's possible… Yes, and she knew so much about the palace…" She looked up. "This palace design is an exact copy of the original palace in Pendragon."

"So you're saying she's been inside the original palace before."

"Yes. And the way she went about things, so dramatically and direct… it's only to be expected."

"What is?"

"I think I know who she is now. Besides, she also knew that I was an immortal, and that Cornelia had probably been told that as well."

"This person you suspect, is she a Code bearer?"

"Yes."

Willem frowned. "Whatever she wants to do, is it more than we can handle? Can we stop her?"

"Perhaps the only person who could turn back that woman," CC's gaze softened, "Is another of her kind."

"You, then."

"No. She's different from most Code-bearers." She pulled out her phone and walked into an adjoining room. "I'm going to consult with Lelouch."

He sat on the bed and thought. _Her kind, huh? I wish she wasn't always so cryptic about these things. As far as I know, there's only one kind of Code-bearer. But then again I got my information second-hand. Just how much did my mother know, anyway?_

He sat up when the door opened again.

"We must act quickly if we are to slow her down." CC looked at him, once again calm. "Are you ready? Do you still wish to bear this power?"

"Since when did you ask permission?"

"Since I decided not to give my Code away. This geass will last until your death, if you are strong enough to bear it."

* * *

Lelouch returned to the cart. CC's call had troubled him, to say the least. He looked up at the two girls and the boy they were looking over. Tatiana caught his glance and beamed at him.

"Thank you so much for helping us!"

He smiled. "You've already thanked me enough." He climbed up into the seat once more and continued down the road. _I doubt you will thank me after this, though._

The birds were already singing as they pulled up beside the Mihara's house. Leaving Kagami to watch over the cart, Lelouch and Tatiana carried Bobby through the house as quietly as possible.

"His room's here." She whispered. She used one of her hands to open it, all the while supporting Bobby's legs with her other arm. After they set him down on the bed, Tatiana walked with him back downstairs.

"Thanks again. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to find Bobby. And who knows what would have happened?" She looked at him with innocent, grateful eyes. He smiled. She turned to Kagami.

"Thank you for being with Bobby. Well, I guess we'll have something to talk about at school, now! Tell me all the details!" Tatiana winked at her, who flushed scarlet at the implications.

He spoke quietly. "Kagami, you'll need to be taken further along, yes?"

"Y-Yes, please."

"Tatiana," he began, "I think you will meet again. But before then, you'll need to learn a few more things."

"What are you talking about? Don't you mean, you think _we _will meet again?"

_I don't want to do this. But, if what CC said is true, then… _He glanced up at Kagami, who had recovered from her blush and tilted her head to brushed her hair back. Anyone looking on would just think she was fixing her hair, but Lelouch saw the way her finger pointed at her eye. _Clever girl. I suppose that's her way of asking whether she should use her geass or not. _He nodded slightly.

Tatiana saw the nod and looked at Kagami, confused. She had already activated her geass.

"That symbol…" Tatiana's eyes widened as the geass entered her mind. A moment later, the two girls passed out. He caught Tatiana and carried her to the cart, placing her beside Kagami on the hay.

He pulled a camping blanket out of his pack and laid it over them. _Kagami will wake up as soon as whatever she wants Tatiana to dream is over, but Tatiana will stay asleep for a good while yet. It's a useful geass. Especially now._

He picked up his phone and called the airport.

* * *

Hmmmmm, what shall happen now???

R&R kudasai!


	20. Phase 17: Awakening

Sakurahanaalice sets a golden example! Yes, to all of you, _especially_ if you're reading this story for the first time now, please do review each chapter!!!

Sakurahanaalice: R2 from Ryurushu, the japanese pronounciation of Lelouch, and incidentally the name of the second season... YAY! Another Tsubasa/xxxHoLic fan! I highly recommend the manga if you haven't read it yet!... Yeah, I just wanted a random spanish surname and Villanueva fit the bill... Good theories, we'll see!... Yes, Agnes is getting positively tortured by CC. Her taste buds shall _die. _XD... CC definitely deserves happiness. Definitely... Yes, the jewels are for each other's eye color, since eyes are the windows to the soul... Carried away indeed ^^' you'll see...

Everanix: Hmmm BB's geass... guess I'll have to wait a bit :) I love coming up with geass, too. Wait 'til you all find out what Bobby's is!

Tyler Ci Britannia: Action as per your request, right on schedule! 'Hmmm...' is right. It's a mystery, so far...

**~Chapter 17: Awakening~**

Kaguya had woken up when she had heard the soft sound of feet climbing up the stairs. She had knowingly waited a few minutes, and then walked to Bobby's room.

He was fast asleep. _Probably worn out from a night of pleasure. _She smiled to herself, remembering when she was young and carefree and in love. _Rest up, my growing boy._

On the way back to her room, she heard a muffled sound outside. Curious as to who would be up this early, she opened the curtains.

And stared.

She had no reason to… there was only a lanky farmer hauling something with his cart. In the moments before sunrise it was hard to tell just what was under the tarp. Maybe hay?

She shouldn't stare, it's quite rude, but… there was something about that man that made her shiver. Was that a good or bad shiver? She wasn't quite sure.

He was on the phone, the reins held in one hand. She couldn't make out what he was saying, but his voice seemed familiar. Nevermind that she didn't know any farmers who covered up that much. In fact, his voice reminded her of… no, that can't be right.

As the cart lumbered off into the distance, he put down the phone, took off his hat and fanned himself with it. The first rays of the sun lit up his retreating face and she gasped.

_I must be mistaken, he only looks like him. And sounds like him. But it's quite impossible. I may still be dreaming. No, that's it. I have to be dreaming. Because he's dead. Lelouch is dead._

_Right?_

* * *

"This geass will last until your death, if you are strong enough to bear it."

Agnes yawned. CC and Willem turned to look at her. She opened her eyes sleepily, focused, and then glared.

Willem sighed. "Oh, joy. The monster awakens."

"Go to hell!"

"Can't you come back with something classier?"

She unleashed a veritable onslaught of cusses, swears and curses.

"I'll take that as a 'no'." He turned back to CC. "You were saying?"

She shook her head. "It can wait. Let's give Agnes something to occupy herself with first." She picked up a piece of pizza and walked towards the girl, who was writhing around and still swearing a river.

_God, they're both so stupid. _Agnes covered up her inner triumph with more profanities. _I thought CC at least would notice. Well, gotta give credit to the old gangs of Pendragon…_

Willem narrowed his eyes. _She's up to something…_

Agnes watched as CC stepped closer and closer. 3… 2… 1…

Her leg lashed out and connected to CC's foot. CC fell down with a gasp. In an instant, Willem was by her side. He glared at Agnes. "How dare you!"

She smiled. "Oh, but I'm just a prisoner, aren't I? I have my own mind and my own reasons to fight!"

He grabbed her free wrist. "You have no idea what you're doing."

"Yes, I do." She pulled on his hand. Their faces were inches from each other. "I know exactly what I'm doing." She looked at him suggestively, but her thoughts were bitter. _After all, even a man like him has needs. They all do._

In the one tiny moment when his eyes strayed to her lips, she pulled her trump card.

Willem focused on her again. _What am I thinking?! She's crazy, and fighting for all the wrong reasons!_ Too late, he noticed that the handcuffs were empty. _She was bluffing all this time!?_

She kicked him in the jewels and pushed him off her. "Bye-bye, baby." She somersaulted off him and stood up to walk away.

"How…" He winced from pain.

She turned. "No one suspects a bracelet, right?" She held it out for him to see. "Who knew you could disguise a handcuff key in a charm?"

Beside her, on a small counter separating the apartment from a kitchenette, was her knife. "Just for good measure…"_ Right now, I need time. Time and revenge._

CC rubbed her head and slowy started to get up. Agnes grabbed the knife.

She plunged it into CC's heart, knowing it would knock her out for a day at least, and then turned to Willem.

* * *

I came out of the hazy realm of dreams slowly.

_I'm not… in my bed…_

Too quickly, the previous events filled my mind. _Kagami at the door. Pizza, with RR. Sleep. Bobby missing. Searching. Finding, with RR. Kagami. Home. Saying goodbye. Kagami inviting me to a trip to China. Accepting. Packing. Saying goodbye. Setting out, with RR. Sleep._

I shook my head, confused. Somehow, it was all quite hazy, as if I had been dreaming the whole night's events. Were we really going to China? How did Kagami manage to get tickets to China? How did Kagami manage to get tickets _anywhere_?

As to why I had accepted… well, I probably did it on a spur of the moment decision. Yes, that's right. I just felt like it. That sounds like something I would do. But… it's all really dreamlike.

I opened my eyes. "Where… are we?"

"Good afternoon, Tatiana."

"Good aft –" I yawned. For some reason I was really tired. Wait – "Afternoon!?"

"You've been asleep for a while. Do you want to stop off for a late lunch somewhere?"

I sat up. Kagami sat beside me, looking at me with a trace of worry. RR was still driving the cart, although I only recognized him from his voice and hat.

I turned to Kagami. "What's wrong?"

"Are you still okay with going?"

"Okay?" _She probably thinks I might have regrets. Maybe someone else would, but not me! _"Of course I'm okay! I've never been to China! It should be fun, and exciting, and who knows what will happen?"

"I'm glad." She looked away, but not before I saw her eyes get watery. _Huh? Why is Kagami crying? I'll have to ask her about it later. And all the details! Details are important! We'll have plenty of time to talk on our trip._

I looked around. "Where are we?" There were too many people here. None of the houses looked anything like those in the village at home, and straight ahead loomed a city's skyline. I looked closer and realized that I recognized some of the buildings from history class.

RR answered my question with his velvet voice.

"We're entering Tokyo."

* * *

Just in case you're thinking Tatiana can't possibly be that stupid, it's been proven that if someone believes they've done something, even if it's something they didn't actually do, they invent the reason for why they would have done it. In other words, because Kagami made it so that she accepted the invitation to China in their dream, she made up a reason that she would do such a thing. This is one of the reasons witnesses are pretty unreliable. Memory isn't as solid as one might think.

btw, I've deleted the forum seeing as no one but myself has ever visited it...

This is my longest A/N so far...

You all know what to do by now :)


	21. Phase 18: Mourning

sakurahanaalice: It's no problem at all! And I can totally see that conversation happening... Tatiana is hopeless ^^'

Everanix: Thanks! Relationships are really important. btw I'm really digging RichmondXNaoto right now XD Agnes is cool in her own way, but there is at least one person who matches her coolness...

Enjoy this chappie and keep on reviewing, please!

**~Chapter 18: Mourning~**

Willem gritted his teeth. _She's smarter than I thought._

"Any last words? Or maybe I should keep you alive, with a little memory of me…" Agnes twirled the blade, enjoying the look of horror on his face.

_I can't kill her, and she probably knows that. If someone she had geassed before comes in they'll see her as Sergeant Villanueva or Cornelia. And CC's cover would be blown entirely._

"I'll take that as a 'no'." She closed the distance between them and crouched, the tip of her knife touching his cheek. He sat very still as the knife pierced his skin, knowing any motion would only make it worse. "No resistance, either? You aren't worth keeping alive."

_I guess I have no choice._ He carefully drew his gun despite the pain. Her eyes flicked to his hand and she stepped on it, forcing him to release the gun. When she turned to him again, she was shocked to see him holding a different gun in his other hand. She stood up quickly. He shot.

She staggered back and fell.

"You never noticed that I'm a leftie." He crawled to her unmoving body and removed the tranquilizing dart.

* * *

He had woken up that morning to Kaguya's incoherent screaming. She was kneeling and sobbing outside of Tatiana's room. "She – she's not– " She broke down again.

When he saw what it was she was screaming about, a cold feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. _It wasn't a dream, then._

Tatiana was gone.

Akira had already called the police. They had searched the outlying lands, including the forest, but so far she was nowhere to be found. They had been questioned about her habits, who she knew, if she was prone to depression, and so on. All the while Kaguya was shivering, giving answers in a small voice Bobby had never heard her use before.

In the meantime, Kagami's parents had also reported their daughter missing.

The police were considering it to be a possible kidnapping, but there was no one else missing. No one knew of any suspicious neighborhood activity. At least, no one had reported seeing anyone suspicious that morning.

Bobby was certain now that he knew exactly where Tatiana was.

She was on her way to China, with Kagami. And RR. But he couldn't tell them that. He had no proof. The only way to prove it to them would be to reveal his own geass, and who he really was.

Kaguya would not take that well, especially in her current state.

Whether it was luck, coincidence, or fate that let him exploit the weakness in Kagami's geass he could not say for sure. But that night as he slept he was pulled into another dream.

Kagami offered for Tatiana to go with her to China, and Tatiana immediately accepted. _But we have school tomorrow… and why China? _He looked at Kagami, suddenly afraid. _Why am I afraid? I love her. _Then it hit him. She had a geass. A geass which creates a dream. _Then this dream could very well be real, at least to Tatiana. _He tried to shout or move, but he couldn't. He could only observe.

He thought hard for the rest of the day. _It seems that as long as anyone she's geassed is still asleep, they will be able to witness her other dreams as well._

He remembered the dream she had created for him. _Does she really think I'll just let her leave like that? Now that she has a geass, why can't we grow our geasses together? It would be harder for her to accidentally activate my geass since she has one of her own. My geass… I haven't used it in a while. But if it were to protect her…_

_But RR is with her. _He scowled. _Why did she have to get her geass from HIM? I don't know much about him, but ever since he came to this town I've felt uneasy._

_He's been watching us. Me and Tatiana. He wants something with her. I don't know what it is, but I know I can't let her go with him. Is it even possible that he knows Tatiana's true identity?_

_If that's the case… I'm going to China._

_

* * *

  
_

Present time, Chinese Federation

The Empress knelt by the tall granite gravestone. Written on it in beautiful, strong calligraphy was, "Li Xing Ke of Luoyang - National Hero - Died May 2019".

At this time of year, it was covered in flowers and wreaths, given not only by the people of China but by people from around the world. She placed a single white chrysanthemum on top, as was her custom.

She stood up and reached for her husband's hand.

_a.t.b. 2019_

_"You can't die! Xing Ke! Promise me!" The Tianzi grasped his hand, the tears overflowing._

_"That's one promise... I cannot keep... my Empress." Every breath he took caused him great pain. He looked at the Empress lovingly. "Tianzi... I can no longer... protect you..."_

_"Yes, you can! Don't refuse your medicine, please! Live!"_

_The Li clan watched as their Tianzi cared for Xing Ke. Many of them were crying, a few looked on compassionately, while the remaining few watched expressionlessly with the air of those who have seen death all too often._

_As the final moment neared, Xing Ke turned to a brown-haired teenager among the closest to him. "My nephew... and student... Xiao Lang..."_

_He blinked away his tears. "Yes, teacher."_

_"In my stead... you must promise... to protect... Lady Jiang Lehua." The boy's eyes widened. The Li clan murmured among themselves. No one could use the Empress' true name upon pain of death. Even in this case, it was still a great taboo._

_"Y-Yes, teacher. I promise." He looked at the young girl who ruled the nation in awe. She stared at him for a moment, her lips quivering with the force of her tears, then turned back._

_"Xing Ke! Don't die!"_

_"I'm sorry..." He let his head fall back. "I'll see you... again..." The hand the Empress was grasping became limp._

_She mourned for a full year. True to his promise, Xiao Lang stayed by her side the entire time. He protected her from those at court who would rather she stop mourning, as well as from her own fears and insecurities. He listened to the story of how she had met Xing Ke many times, with the frequency of the telling becoming gradually less and less. She once told him that she had only realized that he loved her when he had said her name. She did indeed love him, but more as a father figure than as a lover. He listened to her, and before he knew it, he had fallen in love with her as well._

_When she did come out of mourning, it was with a surprise announcement no one, least of all Xiao Lang, expected._

_She wished to be married to him, if he wished to have her as well. He was shocked. A commoner marrying the Empress? But truthfully, he was very happy. He was the one Xing Ke chose to protect her, and now she had chosen him._

_They were married a few months later. Every year, they went together to Xing Ke's grave._

He held her hand tightly. Behind them, carrying flowers of their own, were their two teenage twin sons. The elder looked just like his father, with warm brown eyes and messy brown hair, and had taken his father's name as well. The younger, Jun Xin, had dark black hair and unusually bright blue eyes.

The younger Xiao Lang stepped forward resolutely. He placed a small wreath of cherry blossoms by the grave. His brother, who hated graveyards and any other place spirits could be found, followed quickly with his own wreath in hand.

Together, the royal family walked gracefully to the awaiting ceremonial carriage.

All but Jun Xin. A strange feeling went up his neck, like when he could sense a spirit but... more vague.

Something was about to happen, something dark and important. It would be just his luck to get caught in the middle of it.

* * *

I just can't seem to stop referencing CLAMP works! This certaintly won't be a crossover (at least not that I know of yet), but I was inspired by the shared last name to make Li Xing Ke related to Li Xiao Lang. In Japanese, Xiao Lang is pronounced 'Syaoran'. The father would be the equivalent of reincarnated c!Syaoran, while the son is r!Syaoran. The kanji for Jun Xin is pronounced in Japanese as Kimihiro, which is Watanuki's personal name. I'll be introducing Sakura(s) in the next chappie!

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, that's fine. It's not necessary since these characters will be a little different from the ones I'm referring to. However, IF you want to, I highly recommend reading/watching Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle and xxxHoLic!

I'm really such a CLAMP fangirl...

Alrightie then, R&R!


End file.
